Watertown Woman Graduates From Guide Dog School With New Pup

WATERTOWN, MA — A Watertown woman is returning home after graduating this weekend from the nation's leading guide dog school, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, with her new guide dog Dodger. Kate Katulak was one of 13 people from across the country who received customized training and were paired with an exceptionally trained guide dog at no cost by the non-profit organization.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a New York based nonprofit. For three weeks, Katulak and the other students received individualized training with their new dogs.

Katulak is the Associate Director of College Success at the Perkins School for the Blind. She prepares visually impaired high school graduates for college. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and earned a master’s in education at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Dodger is Katulak’s third Guiding Eyes dog.

She credits all of her guide dogs with providing her with comfort, confidence and safety. The independence the dog brings her enables Katulak to travel as she wishes. She is looking forward to returning home and introducing Dodger to her retired guide, Hosta.

Once home, each team will enter an important stage in their work together, as they deepen their relationships, establish daily routines and learn new routes and destinations. The relationship between each guide dog and handler is unique and Guiding Eyes provides helpful guidelines for members of the community to welcome them home and allow them to work safely. This includes, importantly, not distracting and never feeding or petting a working guide dog.