The Seeing Eye is seeking volunteers who are interested in raising a puppy that will one day be trained to guide a person who is blind.
Puppy raisers are foster families of all types, both large and small, with and without pets. A puppy raiser family is responsible for providing a “loving and nurturing home environment” for approximately one year. During that time, the raiser is responsible for teaching basic obedience, house manners, bringing the puppy to Seeing Eye® puppy club meetings and socialization trips in their area. The Seeing Eye puppy could be a German shepherd, Labrador retriever, golden retriever, or a Labrador/golden retriever cross.
“Raising a Seeing Eye® puppy is a great way for children to experience the value of giving back to the community, or a project for people who are retired and looking to contribute their time to a good cause,” said Jill Jaycox, the Linda Feinne-Roth manager of Puppy Development at The Seeing Eye. “It’s never easy to give back a puppy that you have raised and lived with for a year, but our volunteers always agree that watching the transformation from puppy to Seeing Eye dog makes the journey worth it.”
The Seeing Eye has puppy clubs divided by region who meet regularly and provide the puppy raisers with training tips, advice and share puppy sitting responsibilities when a family has plans that prevent them from keeping their puppy for a short period of time, such as a vacation. Puppies are delivered by a Seeing Eye Puppy coordinator around 7 weeks of age and picked up from the family around 13 to 15 months of age. The Seeing Eye Puppy coordinator is “always a phone call or email away, night and day, to answer questions or provide assistance.”
“We need homes and families of all shapes and sizes for our puppies because fully trained Seeing Eye dogs are placed in similarly diverse families and living situations with people who are blind and visually impaired,” explained Jaycox. “We don’t require applicants to have experience with dog training or raising puppies because we provide all the necessary support to the family and teach them everything they need to know.”
Puppy raisers must live within New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. All veterinary expenses are covered by The Seeing Eye and a stipend is provided to help cover the cost of dog food. If a Seeing Eye puppy does not graduate from the program, the family who raised the puppy is offered the first option to adopt the puppy they raised.
For more information about puppy raising and a listing of the counties where The Seeing Eye will place puppies, visit seeingeye.org/raise. Interested volunteers should contact the area coordinator for their county as listed on the website.
Established in 1929, The Seeing Eye provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people who are blind. Seeing Eye dog users experience “greatly enhanced mobility and independence, allowing them to retain their active lifestyles despite blindness.” The Seeing Eye is a nonprofit supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, bequests, and other planned gifts.
For more information on The Seeing Eye, visit www.SeeingEye.org, call 973-539-4425, or email [email protected].