Janelle Little

Guiding Eyes for the Blind congratulates Janelle Little, of Walkersville, MD, on being named a recipient of the 2009 Youth Scholarship Award for exemplary volunteerism.  Janelle will use the $2,000 scholarship while attending Stevenson University in Maryland.

Janelle is now raising her third dog for Guiding Eyes.  Her first dog – Arizona – is a working guide in Toronto, Canada.  Her second dog, Ferd, found a new life in Poland, where he is a guide to a college professor and father.  Ferd’s new handler happily marvels at how much freedom his guide has brought him, and is especially grateful that he can now take long walks with his children.

Puppy raisers build the foundation upon which Guiding Eyes’ professional trainers build, taking the dogs to the next level of guide dog instruction. Janelle’s current charge is a yellow Labrador named O’Rourke.  He’s sixteen months old and will return to the Guiding Eyes Training School in September to be formally evaluated.

Janelle doesn’t rest on her laurels, and even though being a puppy raiser is very demanding of her time and talent, she has chosen to participate in other aspects of Guiding Eyes’ work.  She mentors prospective raisers to familiarize them for the work ahead, and has also worked with active raisers to help further develop their skills.  Janelle’s enthusiasm and sense of humor infiltrate everything that she does, and she’s done a lot: organized dog birthday parties, pup-friendly Christmas stockings, and numerous fun socialization opportunities amidst it all.

Janelle works hard to promote puppy raising.  She has first-hand, deep appreciation of the special role volunteer families play in raising future guide dogs; without their work, it would be impossible for Guiding Eyes to provide its life-changing services to the blind and visually impaired.  Janelle’s own dedication, passion, and work ethic comprise the ideal formula for her to achieve success in every task she has undertaken.

Janelle’s scholarship essay pinpoints the special moments that led her to be totally captivated with raising puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.  She muses over the many amazing experiences she’s had with the dogs she’s raised, wondering if it was “when Ferd let out a high pitched woof during Sunday mass, or when O’Rourke got his head stuck inside a Christmas tree stand.”  Ultimately she realizes, “I fell in love with raising puppies and volunteering with Guiding Eyes, and it is something I plan to never stop doing.”