Families volunteer to raise dogs for the blind

The group is helping to socialize puppies who eventually become guide dogs.

Mark Gray   The News April 2000

COTO DE CAZA - Eight Coto families are dedicating their free time to puppy years.

They have volunteered with Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. to help socialize Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers until they are 18 months old.  The dogs then go on to get specialized training and then to help guide visually impaired people in their daily lives.

"My daughter saw and ad on television and we called to get more information and ended up raising a yellow Labrador for about a year," said Patty Barrett, one of the Coto volunteers.

The local dog trainers have formed a support group to help each other out with questions and do puppy exchanges so the dogs get used to different environments.  Their job is to expose the puppies to as many people and places as they can.

The Barrett's trainee, "Vicki", graduated in March when the family presented the dog to its new owner.  "It was very emotional because we raised her since she was eight-weeks-old," said Barrettt. "But we are so proud of her and it was so much fun to have her."

The family keeps in touch with the new owner and gets pictures of Vicki by e-mail.  They say they will definitely do it again and hope to get another puppy in the next few months. 

Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. is a non-profit organization based in San Rafael, California that provides the guide dogs to the visually impaired for free.  The organization began during World War II to provide the dogs to veterans who needed them.  More than 7,500 dogs have graduated from the program during the non-profits existence.