The Seeing Eye Seeks Volunteers

The Seeing Eye, a non-profit organization that matches guide dogs with individuals who are blind or who have low vision, is currently seeking puppy raising volunteers in Rockland County. 

The Seeing Eye breeds all of their own dogs, and then selects dogs that have a good temperament for the type of work they will be doing. Their breeds include Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and a Lab and Golden mix. These specific breeds are chosen for their size, their aptitude for training, and their health being the most conducive to a sustainable relationship as a guide dog. 

For the first two months of their life, the puppies are with their mothers and receive some early enrichment by the team at the Seeing Eye. After those first few months, the puppies go home with the volunteer puppy raisers. The puppy raisers are all ages, but are universally connected by a love of dogs and a desire to do good in the world. After around a year of basic training with their puppy raiser, the proud pup returns to the Seeing Eye for more formal training. This formal training includes learning more advanced guide dog skills such as intelligent disobedience. This equips pups with the smarts to intelligently disobey their handler when the handler gives commands that would be unsafe to follow. Lauren Christie, The Seeing Eye Assistant Director of Canine Development, described a situation where a handler might be asking their guide dog to cross a crowded subway platform. The handler may think they’re facing the exit, but are in fact facing the tracks. The guide dogs are trained to reject that command and lead their handler to safety. “We call them guide dog teams because it really is teamwork,” says Christie. 

So what goes into that first year of being a puppy raiser? Christie shared that the first year of the puppy’s life with their volunteer raiser is focused on teaching the puppies “how to be polite,” but also providing the “essential piece of socializing puppies”. The puppy raisers teach these four legged superheroes basic obedience, manners, and how not to pee on the carpet, but also expose them to the big wide world. With prior permission from businesses, puppy raisers can bring their puppies into busy stores, restaurants, cafes and subways to expose them to various situations, sights and smells. This helps to create a calm and confident puppy who is prepared for anything and can focus on their biggest job of helping their future handler live a full and independent life.

The volunteer puppy raisers are not staking puppy raising out on their own, however. Each puppy raiser is required to attend local club meetings and participate in outings to ensure that the puppy is indeed receiving the proper training and exposure. The formal meetings are held once a month, with most clubs arranging additional outings throughout the month for puppy raisers to attend as they can. Each club is equipped with a volunteer club leader, an individual who is an experienced puppy raiser and is there to help with any potential bumps in the road. There are also area coordinators who are employees of the Seeing Eye and serve as liaisons between the puppy raisers and the non-profit. These area coordinators provide home visits, can help with questions, and can speak with the vet team on the puppy raisers behalf. 

Beyond the social and training support is the monetary support provided by the Seeing Eye. All veterinary costs for the pups are covered, with most clinics billing the Seeing Eye directly. Puppy raisers are also provided with a quarterly food stipend to help with the costs of feeding a growing pup.

Of course, there comes the difficult question of what happens after that one year of puppy training comes to a close. “It’s a really hard thing to do,” shared Christie. “Of course you fall in love with these dogs and they become a part of your family. It is hard to say goodbye, but the impact that you’re making on someone else’s life is really unfathomable.” Christie knows what she’s talking about – before taking on the role of Assistant Director of Canine Development, Christie worked as a trainer conducting the more intensive guide dog training for over a decade. Her family has been raising puppies since 2002, and at the time of the interview with the RCT Christie had her latest pup lying at her feet – a five month old German Shepherd named Marlo.

If, for whatever reason, the puppy is not fit for formal training and guide dog duties, the volunteer trainer is given first dibs to adopt the puppy free of charge. “So really, it’s a win-win,” said Christie. “They go off and they do something really great, or you get to bring them back home as your pet.” 

If full time puppy raising seems daunting, Christie encouraged potential volunteers to attend a club meeting or volunteer as a puppy sitter. Any frequently asked questions can be answered by going to seeingeye.org, or by calling 973-539-4425. From there, a volunteer will be able to answer more specific questions as well as assist interested volunteers in finding a club meeting near them.