Rochester resident Ron Schulz, a volunteer puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, has just seen his second puppy graduate to a full-fledged guide dog. Bucky, a black male Labrador Retriever, has been with Schulz since he was just 10 weeks old. Now full grown, Bucky has become the gift of independence to Amanda Dobner of Wauconda, Illinois, who has been blind since birth. "Bucky is my companion," says Dobner, "It's nice to have a better set of eyes looking out for me." The Guiding Eyes Puppy Raising program is comprised of 650 puppy raisers from Maine to North Carolina. These wonderful volunteers take potential guide dogs into their homes to teach them basic manners and obedience when the pups are just a few months old. Lots of love and attention are very important to the development of young guide dog pups, therefore early socialization is very important. The average 18-month commitment that a raiser agrees to is overseen by a volunteer area coordinator, and includes training and quarterly evaluations. Guiding Eyes pays for routine veterinary care, but the puppy raiser is foremost in offering all the tender loving care that the puppy deserves. Being a Puppy Raiser is a heartfelt mission, since the puppies eventually grow-up and then go back to Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown Heights, NY to train as a guide dog. After months of intensive training the dogs that go on to become guides are ready to meet their blind partners. A guide dog and student are paired based upon several criteria including compatibility, personality, and lifestyle. Guiding Eyes' training professionals work closely with each guide dog team during a month-long training period at the school where the student and guide dog live and work together to build a trusting and loving partnership. "I am extremely happy for him and I am glad that all of the work paid off," Schulz said. "He is a great dog and deserves a lot of love." Accepted into his loving home for 18 months, Bucky became a member of the family. "Bucky would lay down at the top of our stairs and we would throw a tennis ball to him." said Schulz. "He would catch it and then go back and lay down and gently drop the ball out of his mouth. The ball would bounce down the stairs and we would throw it up to him all over again." It costs $30,000 to match each remarkable dog with a blind partner, and Guiding Eyes does not charge for its services. Funded solely by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, Guiding Eyes is able to cover all costs related to breeding, training, room and board, and lifetime follow-up support. For information, or to make a tax-deductible donation, contact Guiding Eyes for the Blind at (914) 245-4024, or write them at 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598. The website: www.guiding-eyes.org. |
