They wear their vests proudly, and their brown eyes are studious as they focus on their lessons. Upon graduation, they will have some important jobs to do as they take on pivotal roles to helping others attain independence and the confidence to carry out the daily tasks of life that you and I may take for granted.
The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. was founded in 1946 with the mission of training and providing guide dogs to the blind and visually impaired at no cost to the client who needs a guide dog’s services. The organization began under the name of Guiding Eyes, Inc. in a cramped location in Forest Hills. A more spacious tract of property was acquired a couple of years later at the present Smithtown location, and the name was changed to its present title in 1949. During the 1960s, the Foundation began its own breeding program. Today, the organization’s eight-acre campus includes a puppy nursery, a state-of-the-art kennel, administrative offices and living quarters and a garden for students who must undergo a brief training period with their prospective guide dog.
The puppies are responsibly bred for gentle temperaments and good health at the Foundation. Among the dogs available are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherd and poodles. Once a puppy reaches seven weeks of age, it is then placed in the home of a volunteer puppy raiser. The jobs of these volunteers are to acclimate the puppies to residing in a household instead of in a kennel environment, provide basic obedience training, housebreaking, socialization and human interaction. By the time each puppy reaches 12 to 18 months of age, it is ready for school and returns to the Foundation where the next phase of its education, its career training, begins. During this comprehensive training program, the guide dogs learn to navigate obstacles, follow commands, find clear paths to traverse and halt at curbs. Once graduated as a certified guide dog, it is then paired with the person who will ultimately depend on the dog’s skills.
The third and final phase of the guide dog education curriculum involves training the human. Once the two are paired, the blind individual comes to the Foundation for a 25-day hands-on course. During this time, the person will get to know their new furry friend, learn how to interact with a guide dog and learn the basics of routine canine care. Topics regarding disability rights and public access are also covered. To raise and train one guide dog costs more than $50,000. The funding is attained from donations made by individuals, groups, businesses and other foundations. For the individual whom the guide dog will serve, the furry guardian angel is a free gift of companionship, independence, mobility and confidence.
In 2003, the Foundation recognized the need for service dogs to assist with additional disabilities, including those sustained by armed forces veterans. America’s VetDogs Veteran’s K-9 Corps was founded to provide the same service to veterans who are blind, need assistance with physical therapy, occupational therapy, have hearing disabilities or are coping with medical conditions, prosthetic limbs or post traumatic stress disorder. Some of these service dogs have been dispatched to aid in therapy programs at Veteran’s Affairs hospitals. The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. and America’s VetDogs Veteran’s K-9 Corps, respectively, are the first and second organizations nationwide to achieve accreditation by the International Guide Dog Federation and by Assistance Dogs International.
If you or someone you know is in need of a guide dog or service dog, visit www.guidedog.org or www.vetdogs.org If you would like to help out by becoming a volunteer puppy raiser, making a donation or organizing a fund raising event, this information is also available at both web addresses.
The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. was founded in 1946 with the mission of training and providing guide dogs to the blind and visually impaired at no cost to the client who needs a guide dog’s services. The organization began under the name of Guiding Eyes, Inc. in a cramped location in Forest Hills. A more spacious tract of property was acquired a couple of years later at the present Smithtown location, and the name was changed to its present title in 1949. During the 1960s, the Foundation began its own breeding program. Today, the organization’s eight-acre campus includes a puppy nursery, a state-of-the-art kennel, administrative offices and living quarters and a garden for students who must undergo a brief training period with their prospective guide dog.
The puppies are responsibly bred for gentle temperaments and good health at the Foundation. Among the dogs available are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherd and poodles. Once a puppy reaches seven weeks of age, it is then placed in the home of a volunteer puppy raiser. The jobs of these volunteers are to acclimate the puppies to residing in a household instead of in a kennel environment, provide basic obedience training, housebreaking, socialization and human interaction. By the time each puppy reaches 12 to 18 months of age, it is ready for school and returns to the Foundation where the next phase of its education, its career training, begins. During this comprehensive training program, the guide dogs learn to navigate obstacles, follow commands, find clear paths to traverse and halt at curbs. Once graduated as a certified guide dog, it is then paired with the person who will ultimately depend on the dog’s skills.
The third and final phase of the guide dog education curriculum involves training the human. Once the two are paired, the blind individual comes to the Foundation for a 25-day hands-on course. During this time, the person will get to know their new furry friend, learn how to interact with a guide dog and learn the basics of routine canine care. Topics regarding disability rights and public access are also covered. To raise and train one guide dog costs more than $50,000. The funding is attained from donations made by individuals, groups, businesses and other foundations. For the individual whom the guide dog will serve, the furry guardian angel is a free gift of companionship, independence, mobility and confidence.
In 2003, the Foundation recognized the need for service dogs to assist with additional disabilities, including those sustained by armed forces veterans. America’s VetDogs Veteran’s K-9 Corps was founded to provide the same service to veterans who are blind, need assistance with physical therapy, occupational therapy, have hearing disabilities or are coping with medical conditions, prosthetic limbs or post traumatic stress disorder. Some of these service dogs have been dispatched to aid in therapy programs at Veteran’s Affairs hospitals. The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. and America’s VetDogs Veteran’s K-9 Corps, respectively, are the first and second organizations nationwide to achieve accreditation by the International Guide Dog Federation and by Assistance Dogs International.
If you or someone you know is in need of a guide dog or service dog, visit www.guidedog.org or www.vetdogs.org If you would like to help out by becoming a volunteer puppy raiser, making a donation or organizing a fund raising event, this information is also available at both web addresses.