West Hartford family’s puppy will change someone’s life.

Bristow Middle School teacher Ashley Kneidel and her future guide dog, Debra. Submitted photo

Submitted by Lillian Busse, Regional Coordinator for Guiding Eyes for the Blind

The Kneidel family of West Hartford has much to celebrate; Debra – the puppy they lovingly raised – will soon begin formal training at Guiding Eyes for the Blind to become a guide dog for a blind or visually impaired person.

Guide dogs aren’t born with the skills to keep a blind person safe; they are carefully trained and prepared for the job. Guiding Eyes puppy raisers provide hours of patient teaching and numerous socialization journeys. For the Kneidel family, their hard work paid off in 13 month when Debra returned to Guiding Eyes’ headquarters in Yorktown Heights, NY and passed her In-For-Training evaluation.

The In-For-Training evaluation is an important event for puppy raisers like the Kneidel family. Guiding Eyes believes that each dog “chooses its own career” and only those dogs showing the self-confidence and composure necessary for guide work are assigned to undergo the rigors of guide dog training. Debra has demonstrated that she has the enthusiasm and desire required to undertake the tasks of working in harness.

The Kneidel family with Debra, their puppy who will become a guide dog. Submitted photo

For someone without sight, a Guiding Eyes dog is a priceless, life-changing gift providing independence, companionship, and mobility. Guiding Eyes puppy raisers come from all walks of life and include couples, families with children, young adults, and senior citizens.

The volunteers welcome 8 week-old puppies into their homes and with full support from the nonprofit, including training classes and free vet care. Raisers love, nurture, and educate the puppies for a 13 to 16 month period before sending them off to their calling as a guide dog for a blind or visually impaired person.

Ashley shares, “Raising Debra was a very rewarding experience. My family, friends, colleagues, and students all helped to provide training opportunities, so seeing Debra respond to the program and succeed really feels like a team victory. Debra also sparked conversations about disabilities and community service which are topics that don’t come up often enough with my children and my students. Returning her to the training center will be hard, but I am thankful I got to be part of her journey and part of the Guiding Eyes for the Blind community. ”

Linda Damato, Guiding Eyes’ director of puppy program, notes that, “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.”

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 for 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 vision loss.

The Guiding Eyes Puppy Raising Program has five locations in Connecticut. Northern, Central, Eastern, Southern, and Southwestern. Puppy raisers come from all walks of life and include couples, families with children, young adults, and senior citizens. Some already have forever pets of their own, while others commit to raising guide dogs as a way give their love to a new dog each year.

No matter the circumstance, all puppy raisers agree that the program is emotionally rewarding. Raisers live in urban, suburban, and rural areas, in apartments, townhomes, and single family residences.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is always looking for more puppy raisers. Contact Lillian Busse, regional coordinator, at [email protected] or 860-866-7426 or learn more, check out the Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GEBNCT or attend the Open House Sept. 28, 6 – 8 p.m. at the Avon Congregational Church, 6 West Main St., Avon, CT.

Puppy raising classes are held on Monday evenings in Avon and Granby. Please call 1-866-432-LABS or visit www.guidingeyes.org/volunteer/puppy-raising/ for additional information on the Puppy Raising Program.

About Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Guiding Eyes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing superbly bred and trained guide dogs. Since itsinception, the organization has grown to be one of the foremost guide dog schools in the world, known for its accredited training programs and lifetime commitment to its graduating teams. Dogs not suited for guide work may become service dogs for children on the autismspectrum. Guiding Eyes is dependent upon contributions to fulfill its mission and provides all services free of charge to individuals who are blind or visually impaired as well as to families with children with autism. The organization’s Headquarters and Training Center is located in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. and its canine breeding center is in Patterson, N.Y. For more info, visit www.guidingeyes.org, like Guiding Eyes on Facebook (www.facebook.com/guidingeyes) or follow @guidingeyes on Twitter.