The Ace Project is a well-respected program at Iowa State University and in the world of Companion Animal Science. The organization works to introduce students to dog training and fostering. The Ace Project takes shelter dogs and places them with student foster homes. The students meet throughout the semester to work on varying aspects of training with the dogs. The Ace Project not only helps find homes for these dogs but also equips students with the skills to work with a variety of dogs.
This transformational program is highly student-focused. Students like Ethan Hosek invest their time and energy into setting their foster dogs up for success. Ethan is on his third foster dog that he has welcomed into his home.
When Ethan started fostering dogs through the Ace Project, he was not an Animal Science major, but since then, he has fallen in love with the program and added Animal Science to his degree plan. Ethan naturally has a great personality for working with these shy and nervous dogs, but has evolved so much throughout his semester in The Ace Project. Cheryl Morris, associate professor and the founder of the Ace Project said, “He’s had to make decisions, manage time and communicate with me regarding dog needs.”
Ethan found that balancing the foster dogs while being a student requires a lot of planning. He is thankful for the support from his roommate and the other students in The Ace Project. He has been able to have his peers take his foster dogs to classes that he could not attend and split up tasks with his roommate. Ethan has learned how much devotion it takes to foster a dog since patience is vital to allow these dogs to get accustomed to this new environment. “Your foster dog isn’t going to come home and love on you right away. It takes time to adjust and relearn the life they may have never had,” Said Hosek.
The best part of the Ace Project for Ethan has been the knowledge of the impact they are making on these dogs' lives. He has also appreciated learning training techniques from Cheryl Morris.
Ethan’s advice to students who may be considering joining The Ace Project, “Do it! It’s an amazing experience even if you can’t foster your own dog or own one. The Ace Project isn’t just a class, it’s a community of people who are all passionate about the training and care of dogs.”
There have been numerous successes that have come from The Ace Project. The program has recently hit their 50th adoption, a dog named Smudge. The Ace Project started with just a single student and 2 foster dogs from the Midlands Humane Society. By the second semester of The Ace Project, they had 24 students enrolled and 4 service dogs in training. Currently, the program has 45 students who have been working with 13 foster dogs, and 17 of those students have dogs of their own to train.
Shelters and rescues are extremely limited to their own space availability. The Ace Project provides a unique opportunity to these dogs to live in loving homes, receive individualized care, and experience phenomenal training. Cheryl Morris wanted to highlight a quote from one of their partner organizations. “I’m not sure I have the words to convey how incredible you, your program and your students are. I have so much gratitude for all of you. These dogs have an amazing future because of you and the Ace Project!”
Cheryl Morris has worked with foster dogs for decades and it seems there has always been an extra dog in the house. She never imagined her passion for dogs would have such an immense impact on students. These students have continued to push her to continually bring more to the program. It’s more than just fostering, it’s learning all the amazing things you can do with dogs. The Ace Project has had fun playing games like Fast Cat, Agility, Rally, and a variety of tricks.
Beyond adoptions outside of the university, so many students have found their best friends through The Ace Project. Out of the running total of 52 dogs adopted, 12 have been adopted by students in the program. Morris has loved watching students continue to train and even compete with their rescue dogs.
“Nothing is better than watching a relationship develop between a student and dog. It’s a really beautiful thing and I get to see it every single day,” said Morris.
Four Ace Project students recently competed in the UKC Nose Work Trial competition. One of these students was Paige McDonald, a graduating senior, who earned 9 titles with her 2 dogs. The rest competed for the very first time and qualified in 10 of the 12 runs. Iowa State students collectively left the competition with 5 titles. The skills for this competition have all been student taught, making the total 14 titles earned that much more impressive.
Overall, the Ace Project has proven to be a largely successful and impactful program. The program not only brought home numerous titles but teaches students invaluable skills through serving these dogs every day. It continues to reach students, the community, and beyond to rescue dogs across the country.