Website: www.guidedogs.com
Call toll-free at: 1 (800) 295-4050
Guide Dogs for the Blind
350 Los Ranchitos Road
San Rafael,CA 94903
About this program:
Guide Dogs for the Blind has more than 1,400 dedicated puppy raising volunteers to help raise good canine citizens and prepare them for their formal guide work training. Guide Dogs for the Blind breeds and trains yellow and black Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retriever/Golden Retriever crosses to enhance mobility and quality of life to people who are blind.
At approximately 8 weeks old, the puppies are placed on the "puppy truck" from the San Rafael, Calif. campus and they embark on a journey to meet their puppy raising families, who will raise them for the next 12-14 months. The puppy raisers teach the dogs to have excellent house manners and socialize them to the world by introducing them to new people, places and experiences.
When the puppies are 15 - 18 months old they are returned to the San Rafael, Calif. and Boring, Ore. campuses for formal guide work training and are eventually matched with blind students enrolled at the school. The new person-dog team completes an intensive in-residence course culminating with a graduation ceremony at which the puppy raiser formally presents the dog to its new partner.
Guide Dogs for the Blind has puppy raisers in the eight Western states, including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Guide Dogs for the Blind, headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., has been creating life-long partnerships in the community since 1942. Its services are provided free-of-charge to those it serves, and relies solely on private donations. If you know someone who could benefit from a Guide Dog, please let them know about this program.
