by Contributor | September 18, 2017 7:22 pm
OSWEGO – Today (September 18), Guiding Eyes for the Blind welcomed the September 2017 class of graduates, a group of 17 individuals paired with exceptionally trained guide dogs bred and raised by the non-profit organization to be matched with a person with vision loss.
Each member of the graduating class and their respective guide dogs received individualized training at Guiding Eyes’ Yorktown Heights headquarters, working with expert trainers and instructors to learn to work together as a team.
Among this month’s graduates is Ross Rupert, a resident of Oswego, who traveled to the Guiding Eyes headquarters for Residential Training with his guide dog, Sparky.
In small classes with highly personalized training, Ross and Sparky learned to navigate the many types of settings they will encounter upon returning home.
Ross shares his home with a friendly golden retriever and looks forward to being more active and independent with the help of his first guide dog, Sparky, a male black Labrador.
Ross – a retiree who is very active in taking care of his home in Oswego where there is always a steady flow of children and grandchildren coming and going – lost his sight due to glaucoma, macular degeneration and angioid streaks.
He is looking forward to taking an Alaskan cruise and traveling more with his new guide dog.
“We are thrilled to welcome this new class of graduates to the Guiding Eyes family,” said Thomas Panek, president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. “We are incredibly proud to provide extraordinary guide dogs to our graduates at no cost, and we ensure that each guide dog team receives a personalized training experience that prepares them to head home with more freedom, independence and confidence.”
About Guiding Eyes for the Blind
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is dedicated to creating and supporting life-changing connections between people and dogs.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides superbly bred and trained dogs to people who are blind or visually impaired.
Our dogs are known for their exceptional temperaments and success at helping people gain independence and to expand their horizons of opportunity.
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