$30K Donation Supports Leader Dog Construction

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI – Leader Dogs for the Blind received a $30,000 donation from the Consumers Energy Foundation.

The Rochester Hills-based organization will use the money to support construction of the Canine Development Center, which is scheduled to be completed later this year. Founded by three Detroit-area Lions Clubs members in 1939, Leader Dog trains and provides service dogs to increase mobility for visually impaired, blind and deaf individuals.

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The nearly 75,000-square-foot Canine Development Center facility will better prepare dogs for their life-changing and life-saving work. When completed, it will provide 255 housing suites, which are two and a half times larger than current suites.

It also will include an upgraded veterinary clinic, separate male and female breeding suites and indoor/outdoor puppy enrichment areas.

Consumers Energy has strong ties to the organization.

Two current Leader Dogs for the Blind board members, Thomas O’Masta and Paul Preketes, are retired executives of Consumers Energy. The pair have been instrumental in providing professional expertise to Leader Dog and have received volunteer grants for their involvement.

“The Consumers Energy Foundation is committed to working with nonprofit organizations to make our state a better place,” David Mengebier, president of the Consumers Energy Foundation, said in a statement.

“We are privileged that Leader Dog, which for over 75 years has provided such a vital service to blind and visually impaired clients worldwide, is based in southeast Michigan, he continued. “Our Foundation is pleased to help support construction of the Canine Development Center so that the unique work of pairing clients with trained guide dogs can be enhanced.”

Photo

From left, Thomas O’Masta, Leader Dogs for the Blind board member and Consumers Energy retiree; Carolyn Bloodworth, secretary/treasurer of Consumers Energy Foundation; Paul Preketes, Leader Dogs for the Blind board member and Consumers Energy retiree; Susan Daniels, Leader Dogs for the Blind president and CEO; and Ursula Warren, Consumers Energy area manager for southeast Michigan. (Photo submitted)