Did you know we have a local puppy raising club for Guide Dogs for the Blind right here in Lone Tree? Are you looking for a meaningful way to volunteer and give back to your community? Consider becoming a volunteer puppy raiser or sitter for Guide Dogs for the Blind. It’s worth mentioning that two of the unique benefits of volunteering are endless cuddles and built-in adventure.
Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is one of the largest guide dog schools in the world. Nearly 18,000 clients have graduated from GDB from across the U.S. and Canada, since its founding in 1942. All of GDB’s services are provided free of charge to its clients who are blind or visually impaired. GDB receives no government funding; all of its services are made possible by the generous support of donors and volunteers.
Volunteer puppy raisers and puppy sitters are a critical part of a dog’s journey to becoming a guide dog. Puppy raisers receive a guide dog puppy at approximately 10 weeks old. For about a year, puppy raisers are responsible for teaching puppies good manners and obedience, while providing comprehensive socialization experiences for them. Then, the pups return to one of GDB’s campuses for formal guide dog training, affectionately called “guide dog college,” where they spend time honing their skills with professional guide dog trainers.
GDB has about 100 local puppy raising clubs like the Lone Tree/Highlands Ranch Puppy Raisers, which has been active for more than 25 years. The club has raisers in Lone Tree, Parker, Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Littleton, Roxborough, Ken Caryl, Lakewood, and other communities throughout the Denver area.
The club is always looking for new volunteer raisers, which will help reduce GDB client wait times to get a guide dog. Darlene and Maddie White, a mother/daughter raising team who have raised 13 puppies for GDB, are two of the leaders of the puppy raising club, and they can attest that this type of volunteering may turn out to be one of the most fulfilling experiences a person can have.
“I absolutely love seeing the freedom and independence that one of our puppies ends up providing to a client at Guide Dogs for the Blind after they go through formal training and are paired together,” said Maddie White. “Being part of that mission is so rewarding, not to mention that puppy raising is one of the most fun jobs anyone could ever do.”
The puppy raising club meets twice a month in Lone Tree to make sure all its raisers have everything they need to successfully raise a puppy. Club members, many of whom are longtime raisers, provide excellent support for each other throughout the puppy- raising process. The club also plans multiple group outings to socialize the puppies for future situations they might face when later serving as a guide dog for a client who is blind or visually impaired. These group outings have included visiting a local fire station (with a firefighter in full gear), touring local farms, and riding the light rail to provide puppies with the experience of taking public transportation.
In addition, GDB supports puppy clubs by being with volunteer puppy raisers every paw-stride of the way in the pup’s journey. First and foremost, GDB covers veterinary expenses for puppies throughout their lifetime with GDB. It also provides useful learning materials, workshops from a professional puppy-raising field manager, and other hands- on support and resources.
No prior dog training experience is necessary to become a GDB puppy raiser, and raisers are allowed to have other pets in their homes. Darlene White strongly encourages families to get involved in puppy raising.
“Raising a puppy together is such a great family project,” said Darlene White. “We’ve seen young people flourish before our eyes when raising a puppy, as their confidence grows in real time at the same time the puppy grows.”
If you’re interested in becoming a puppy raiser for GDB and getting paid in unconditional love while giving back, visit guidedogs.com/puppy.