Guiding Eyes for the Blind Puppy with a purpose arrives in Simsbury

Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppy Bijou recently arrived in Simsbury, CT at the home of her new puppy raiser Betty Goldfarb. This black Lab is a very special girl; one day she’ll become a guide dog for a blind or visually impaired person.

Betty was a preschool teacher for 27 years and when she retired she was looking for ways to volunteer and saw a sign “Love Puppies”. I went to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Open House to learn more. It was a perfect fit for me. Giving puppies their first learning experience in a warm, loving environment was much like working with toddlers. It was a great way to use my teaching skills working with wonderful puppies and wonderful people. “

For someone without sight, a Guiding Eyes dog is a priceless, life changing gift providing independence , companionship and mobility. Raisers establish the loving human bond that is the foundation for the puppies’ future role in a guide dog team, The volunteers welcome 8 week-old puppies into their homes and are given full support from the non profit organization, including training classes which are held in Granby and Avon, and free vet care. Raisers love, nurture, and  educate the puppies for a 14 to 16 month period before sending them off to their calling as a guide dog.

Betty and young Bijou are at the very beginning of this process. Fortunately, the Northern Connecticut network of Guiding Eyes staff and volunteers are nearby and eager to help. Betty’s first puppy went on into training to become a guide dog for the blind and visually impaired men and women around the world.

Guiding Eyes puppy raisers come from all walks of life and include couple, families with children, young adults and senior citizens. The nonprofit’s Puppy Raising Program is comprised of more than 400 volunteers from Maine to North Carolina. As Linda Damato, Guiding Eyes’ Director of puppy program , notes, “puppy raisers have an essential role in the journey of a Guiding Eyes dog. Without their hard work and dedication, we’d simply be unable to provide guide dogs to people who rely on them.”

Betty says, ”when my raiser’s job is done, I know the pup I helped raise is on the new adventures.” Volunteers are always invited to attend the  graduation ceremony of the dog that they helped to raise, which typically commences approximately six months after sending the puppy back to Guiding Eyes formal training. It’s during this celebration that the raisers have the opportunity to meet the dog’s new partner and truly understand the impact that a guide dog has in the life of a person with loss vision

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is aways looking for more puppy raisers. Contact  Lillian Busse, Regional Coordinator at 860-618-0477 or lilbusse@aol.com to learn more. Please call 1866-432-LABS or visit www.guidingeyes.org/volunteer/puppy-raising/ for additional information on the Puppy Raising Program.