Graduate Team: Twalla and Hollis
About the Team: Hollis, a female yellow lab; Twalla’s 4th Guiding Eyes dog
Location: Sacramento, California
Training: May 2025 On-Campus
Twalla holds a degree in Child Development and aspires to work with children in daycare and pre-K settings. Actively involved in her church, she participates in Bible Study, the prayer team, and the worship team. In her free time, Twalla enjoys various activities that keep her busy. She is a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast and enjoys completing complex 2000-piece puzzles. Twalla cherishes her long-standing friendship with Marissa, her best friend of 30 years, who lives just two blocks away, so they are often able to spend time together. She also enjoys reading and playing with her fourth guide dog from Guiding Eyes, Hollis.
How would you describe your guide dog? “She is full of energy and loves to play. She has a few toys but really loves her green ball and her Wubba. She’s so cuddly and loves to be with me everywhere I go. I always have to get her out of the kitchen because I don’t want her to get hurt! At night, she either sleeps with me or sleeps in her crate. When I first got her, I was about to put her in the crate, and she put herself in before I could! It’s so automatic for her. She really loves me, too. We’re getting more and more attached. I played the drums at church, so I had someone watch her for me while I did that. She was unhappy because she couldn’t see me, but they moved closer, and then she was fine! I also love her puppy raiser. She attends church like me, and I enjoy calling her and giving her updates on Hollis.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “When I was getting my third dog, I had just moved to California and retired my second dog. I didn’t know the area just yet, but I called Guiding Eyes and told them I wanted to apply for another dog. I was so worried they wouldn’t accept me because I wasn’t familiar with my new area yet. When they did the home interview, the representative knew it would be my third dog, and I would do fine. They accepted me, and I was so impressed by that.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “I love having a guide dog. When you walk, you don’t have to pay attention to all the things around you as closely. You can run into things with a cane, but you get around so fast with a dog! We took a walk to the State Capitol, and were like, ‘We got here fast!’ Traveling with a dog is much faster, but I also just love walking with my dog. There are always people telling me how cute she is! I feel incredibly blessed by the support from those around me. A fellow member of my Bible study has been especially helpful, providing things we need, including a crate, a dog bed, and even a showerhead, which will allow me to give Hollis a bath on my own!”
Were there any training highlights? “Oh! We had to work in the rain. That week was crazy. Hollis took me around puddles, and I learned she didn’t like puddles either. I almost didn’t know what day it was because we were just going and going. It was very ‘wake up and go’, but it was amazing! I really liked that it was a small class, and we weren’t trying to fit a lot of dogs in the cafeteria. I really liked that. It was so much easier with a smaller class!”
DOB: 1/20/2023
Litter ID: 11H23
Color/Breed: Yellow/Labrador
Gender: Female
Brood: Colleen
Stud: Everett
Littermates: Hank, Hazel, Helsa, Hollywood, Hercules, Heart, Hula, Hopkins, Hepburn, Henley
Region: Southwestern VT
Regional Puppy Instructor: Kate Gardner
Puppy Raiser: Tammy Buckley
Facebook: Southern Vermont Puppy Raisers
Hollis is the first puppy that I have raised. Everyone asks, “how do you give her up?” . . . with a few tears, but ultimately with great joy, that I was able to journey with this remarkable dog! I knew from the beginning that Hollis was at her best when “working” . I loved watching her achieve her next steps along the way, some more challenging than others. My entire family, children and grandchildren have supported her and have been cheering for her all the way. I am so happy that she has found her forever home. I could not have done this without the amazing support of my fellow raisers and trainers – thank you for believing in me and Hollis. This special pup will forever hold a place in my heart! ~ Tammy Buckley
