One of the hardest parts of leaving home can be separation from your canine companions. Dog lovers at Iowa State will have the chance to remedy their separation anxiety and play with puppies from two local shelters Friday and Saturday.

Amanda Chung, senior in animal ecology, is the organizer of Rent-A-Puppy. The event’s goal is to raise money for two local animal shelters, the Boone Area Humane Society and the Harding Eldora Animal Rescue Team, whose puppies will be available for playing with and adoption.

“My personal interest is in shelters and veterinary practice because I’m a pre-vet student,” Chung said. “So this is something I’m really passionate about.”

Chung came up with the idea for Rent-A-Puppy after searching on the Internet for fundraising ideas. She took it upon herself to contact local shelters to see if they would be interested, and said the event is about more than raising money for the local animal shelters.

“It’s good for students who are freshmen — they just got here, they’re homesick, they miss their pets and their family, and this would be a way for them to just kind of feel better about that,” Chung said.

Students on campus expressed interest in the event.

“It’s cute, and the proceeds go to a good cause,” said Averi Tjarks, freshman in advertising. “I’m definitely willing to pay.”

Another student, Vera Prisacari, junior in nutritional science, was also interested in the opportunity to play with a new four-legged friend.

“I wanted to go to a shelter, but haven’t gotten around to it,” Prisacari said. “I want to meet [Chung] and give her a hug.”

Ten dogs will be available for renting, and attendees will be able to choose on a first-come, first-serve basis. Neither local shelter was able to say specifically what kinds of dogs they will bring, but all dogs will be at least six months old and vaccinated, in accordance with university policy.

Those interested in renting a puppy will also have to show photo ID and sign a waiver of liability.

Helping with the event are volunteers from the two shelters and Chung’s sorority sisters from the Gamma Chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Inc. The proceeds will be split in half between the sorority and the two shelters.

All of the dogs at the event are also available for adoption. The Humane Society requires a 24-hour “think about it” period and a pre-adoption questionnaire, but then the animal can be picked up at the shelter.

The most important thing to the shelters is not the money brought in. The Boone Area Humane Society has another goal in mind.

“The important thing is finding the animals homes,” said Linn Price of the Boone Area Humane Society.