Local
residents Pete and Mary Jo Egus contributed toke and love in raising a puppy for
Guide Dogs for the Blind, and were proud to see the dog graduate as a guide in a
formal ceremony at the Guide Dog campus in San Rafael, California on Saturday,
May 15, 2004. “Abu” was often seen at Serra Catholic School, San Francisco Solano Church as well as shops and restaurants in Rancho Santa Margarita. Thank you to all the establishments that supported “Abu” to reach his potential of being a working guide dog.
Shown in the attached photo is puppy raisers Pete and Mary Jo Egus who presented Guide Dog “Abu”, a Labrador Retriever to graduating student, Robert Holt.
Guide Dogs for the Blind uses yellow and black Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Lab/Golden Crosses and Smooth Coated Collies as guides. The puppies are born at the Guide dog kennels and placed in the homes of volunteer puppy raisers when they are about two months old. The puppy raisers socialize the pups by house-breaking them, teaching them to be good canine citizens and introducing them to new experiences.
The pups are returned to the Guide Dog campus for formal guide work training with licensed instructors when they are 14 to 18 months old. Following the completion of training, the dogs are matched with blind students enrolled at the school. The new person-dog team completes an intensive in-residence course culminating with a graduation ceremony at which the raiser formally presents the dog to the dog’s new partner who is blind.
For more than 60 years, Guide Dogs for the Blind has been creating life-long partnerships by providing skilled dogs and training in their use free of charge. The organization receives no government funding but depends entirely on private donations. For more information, contact Guide Dogs for the Blind, Nation Office, P.O. Box 151200, San Rafael, CA, 94915 (800 295-4050) or visit them on the web at: www.guidedogs.com.