PRINCETON, Mass. - A big project is underway for NEADS World Class Service Dogs in Princeton. The non-profit is building a breeding center for their puppies. 

The pen is kind of like a puppy pre-school. They're experiencing sounds, surfaces, and socialization before being sent to service dog training.

“Puppies have a critical period of learning where you can just put in a little bit of effort and make a big impact on how they respond to things later in life," Kate Albertini, Breeding and Puppy Development Coordinator, said. 

Another thing the dogs are getting used to here is wearing their service vests.

The goal is to hopefully match each dog with a person who has a disability or have them in a classroom or a hospital setting.

More than 20 litters have been bred on site so far, but space is getting tight and with COVID-19, puppies from other organizations aren’t always available. NEADS is fundraising to build a new $2.6 million breeding center.

“The breeding center is going to be game changer. This will allow us to produce more puppies, increase the number of dogs we are training, with the ultimate goal of course of serving more clients," Albertini said. 

The hope is be able to help 65 people a year, up from 45 a year. Dogs at the facility will be specifically bred to be service dogs.

“It enables us to do what we do, but more efficiently. We find we have much more success getting our dogs through when they have been purposely breed," Cathy Zemaitis, Director of Development NEADS, said. 

As for this litter, they're enjoying the spotlight for a little bit longer, before they’re off to learn more.