By: Sara McCauley

When did your family first get involved with Guide Dogs for the Blind?

My family first got involved in Guide Dogs back in 2002 when I was 8 years old.  Some family friends had just gotten a guide dog puppy and we thought it would be fun to look into!

Why did your family get involved with guide dogs?

We had just gotten a dog, a golden retriever, and we wanted to get another puppy, but thought it would be even better if it was for community service and to help someone else out in the future. Since we already had our puppy, we were okay with getting one that we knew wasn’t ours to keep.

What is the hardest part of raising a guide dog?

The hardest part about raising the guide dogs is definitely giving them up when they are around 14 months old, to go to formal training. But seeing your puppy with their bling partner when they are all graduated is so rewarding because they are so loyal and committed to their partner. It’s always such a good feeling, giving someone their life and independence back through a dog.

Would you say that the guide dogs taught you something in return?

I have definitely learned responsibility and consistency through raising guide dogs. I had to learn what the puppy was thinking and learn how to deal with them in public if something embarrassing happens like if they had an accident or barked at someone. It taught me a lot about how to deal with different situations in public and how to care for someone or something other than yourself.