The FMU Pre-Vet club hosted its first meeting of the semester on Jan. 21 which featured a guest appearance from Kathy McCoy, math lab coordinator and instructor of mathematics, and her service dog in training, Edna.

The special appearance of Edna at the meeting was to honor her leaving FMU for the next step in her service dog training. Edna signed autographs with a paw print for club members and Edna fans from FMU.

  McCoy said volunteer work has always been close to her heart and raising a service dog was something she had always wanted to do.

“A friend of mine in Arizona, Jennifer Keller, was raising her first puppy for Canine Companions for Independence in about 2009,” McCoy said. “This gave me exposure to the process and the information on how to go about getting a puppy. When my own dog, Kira, passed away in 2010 I decided the time was right to apply. My first dog, Ondine, was not successful at becoming a service dog, but has been a wonderful pet.”

McCoy said having Edna on campus is perfect because Edna has the perfect personality to be around the students and she loves to meet new people and give hugs.

“I frequently hear, ‘I so needed a hug from Edna; I’m so glad she was in class today when I took my test; she helped calm me down; thanks for bringing her to visit, I was stressed and now I’m not,’” McCoy said.

McCoy said educating students how to properly react to service dogs is a big deal.