Gani, a special education sophomore, is a second-time volunteer for Paws with a Cause — a Michigan-based organization that trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities across the country.

Mango could eventually become a service dog for someone who is hearing-impaired or bound to a wheelchair. But for now, she is still learning how to be polite in public.

“We try to get them socialized as much as possible so they’re not timid or so they don’t freak out about things,” Gani said. “We just try to get them to be well-mannered, socialized dogs.”

Gani received Mango in June and has been working with her throughout the summer. Mango will be with Gani until she’s about 14 months old and knows all the basics — she’ll learn to sit, stay and come as well as how to maintain focus on whomever she’s assisting.

In class, Gani said Mango is expected to stay at her feet and basically not cause trouble, even if that’s not always easy. Like most dogs, Mango has a hard time resisting anything on the ground, especially anything sticky.

“I hate people who put gum underneath desks,” Gani said. “It’s hard to take notes when your dog is licking the bottom of your desk.”

Having Mango in class can be a distraction for Gani as well as other students.

Some of her instructors this semester weren’t sure about having a dog in their class, Gani said, but because she has permission from MSU to bring Mango to class, most have had to accept Mango as another student.

Some professors, such as geography professor Morris Thomas, have even gone so far as to bring dog treats to class for Mango.

“Mango lays there and goes to sleep,” Thomas said. “She’s very well-behaved, which must mean Sarrah is doing a good job so far.”

Thomas has never had a student training a service dog but has had many students who use them, he said.

“I applaud her for doing it because this is obviously something that’s needed. I think it’s just wonderful,” Thomas said.

Student puppy raisers are a minority at Paws with a Cause because of the time commitment it takes to properly raise a puppy, said Deb Davis, the organization’s marketing and communications manager.

“You have to understand this is not something to just romp around your house and be cute with,” Davis said, adding that puppy raisers are required to take their puppies to Paws with a Cause headquarters monthly for veterinary visits and to meet with someone who will look into the dog’s progress in becoming a service animal.

If the organization thinks a dog might not be right for service work, it has other options, Davis said. Because Paws with a Cause works with other organizations — from Leader Dogs for the Blind to the Department of Homeland Security — there’s always potential for a dog to continue its working life.

“We’ve had some dogs that have done some major drug busts on our country’s borders,” Davis said.

Aside from taking Mango with her to class every day, Gani often takes her shopping — an exercise that teaches her how to resist the temptations of grabbing food from low shelves and jumping on strangers, especially children.

That proves to be a challenge.

When Gani arrives at Meijer, greeters exclaim, “Oh, it’s Mango!” and rush up to pet her. Children stretch out their arms toward the dog from shopping carts. Adults coo, crouch down to pet her and ask Gani where they can get a similar dog.

Gani typically carries pamphlets with her that explain the training program and the mission of Paws with a Cause.

She also carries business-like cards that read, “Hi, my name is Mango.” She hands these out to anyone who has any questions about what she’s doing.

“It’s not too often people aren’t supportive of it. It’s rare that someone will make a comment, especially in East Lansing,” Gani said. “I’ve taken her to Meijer, (Biggby Coffee), and (Capital Area Transportation Authority).”

Gani has never been kicked out because of Mango, but occasionally, people complain about her bringing Mango into grocery stores or restaurants because they don’t want a dog near their food, Gani said. That’s not something she protests.

“When you go out, you represent the Paws with a Cause organization so you don’t argue with people or anything,” Gani said. “If I get asked questions, I answer them.”

Getting involved

Gani, who eventually wants to become a special education teacher, said training service dogs is kind of a natural extension of her passion for helping the disabled. She said it helps her to better understand what people with disabilities go through on a daily basis.

“I think (training dogs) puts things into a good perspective for people without disabilities,” Gani said. “The whole people-staring-at-you, wondering-why-you-have-a-dog kind of thing when I can clearly walk — it’s not really similar, but it’s as close as it comes.”

In high school, Gani volunteered at Muscular Dystrophy Association camp, where she knew one camper who has a dog from Paws with a Cause. During her senior year of high school, Gani decided she wanted to train her first service dog.

“She came home one day and said she wanted to do this and, as a matter of fact, I said ‘No,’” said Sarrah’s mother, Dottie Gani.

Living with her parents in East Lansing allows Sarrah to turn to her family if she needs help.

“She is totally responsible for the puppies. We help her if she has an exam that week or something, but it is her responsibility,” Dottie Gani said.

Sarrah Gani trained her first dog, Bailey, during her senior year of high school. After almost a year spent with Gani and her family, Bailey was returned to Paws with a Cause to finish training and an evaluation process used to determine which type of work for which she would be best-suited.

And even though she was apprehensive about the situation at first, Dottie Gani admits it was hard to say goodbye at the end.

“You get so attached,” Dottie Gani said. “You get them as puppies and they become your babies.”

What has made the process easier on the family is the support of other Lansing-area puppy-raisers, Dottie Gani said.

Group members have carpooled the puppies to veterinary appointments at the Paws with a Cause headquarters in Wayland and even watched Mango when the family went on vacation.

“I think that’s a real big plus because it’s a community helping each other,” Dottie Gani said. “It’s just a really nice group.”

The Lansing-area training group, headed by Holt resident and certified Paws with a Cause trainer Ingrid Holtry, is another resource for Sarrah Gani if she needs help training Mango.

The group meets in public places around the Lansing area once weekly to work on basic obedience and expose their dogs to new experiences, like trips to the mall or the Union bowling alley.

Holtry has been working with Paws with a Cause since 1996. She has personally raised 12 service dogs and she estimates her training group has raised about 30 and 40 service dogs, at least 20 of which are still working.

Although she thinks the opportunity to raise a puppy is a rewarding experience, Holtry said it’s a tough task for a college student, especially one who doesn’t live at home like Sarrah Gani.

“It’s kind of like having kids, so as freshmen or sophomores, having someone that needs you home to feed them and play with them is tough,” Holtry said.

“If it’s somebody that misses their pet at home they may find this cramps their social life.”

Life on a college campus can be a great training ground for a service dog, Holtry said, since it exposes dogs to a lot of people and forces them to adapt as different kinds of traffic and other activities.

“For people who really have a love for animals and a love for people -because everyone wants to talk to you and ask you questions — I think this is a good thing,” Holtry said.

And Sarrah Gani feels the same.

“It’s kind of fun. I meet a lot of people and hear a lot of stories about people with service dogs,” she said. “It definitely takes a lot of time to get from class to class.”