“Congratulations to the June graduating class and guide teams. Healthy Vision Association is proud to support Guiding Eyes and all the great work you do.”
Healthy Vision Association Charity Fund
“We celebrate all of the graduates this day. We appreciate all of your perseverance to arrive at this point in your journey with Guiding Eyes. We dedicate our shared sponsorship of this particular graduation to the memory of Kate Fanti. She was an enthusiastic Guiding Eyes volunteer who brought the understanding of the important mission of Guiding Eyes to WCDNF. She brought Omar to a club meeting. We miss her and we believe that her giving, friendly manner helped with the preparation of the Guiding Eyes puppies. She often shared photos and anecdotes about her very special puppies at club meetings.”
Women’s Club Danbury/New Fairfield
Graduate Team: Alex & Danny
About the Team: Danny, a male yellow Lab, is Alex’s 2nd guide dog
Hometown: Bangor, Maine
Guide Dog Mobility Instructor: James Gardner
Alex is an IT professional who lives in Maine with his yellow Lab guide dog, Danny. Outside of work, Alex spends time on programming projects and reading articles, and he enjoys playing the guitar and bass. Alex is involved with The Civil Air Patrol organization, where he is responsible for the local youth cadet program in which cadets learn about flying, leadership, search & rescue operations, and more.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Danny is very energetic and enjoys being outside. He will ask to be let out onto the deck, so he can lay out in the sun for a while. Danny works well with the harness on and is focused. He’s playful, a fast walker, and a good match for me.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I saw a few people using guide dogs while growing up and in college. The way those guide dog handlers were able to get around and find chairs or doors was at a greater level of independence than a cane could offer. My experience at Guiding Eyes was good last time when I got Cosby, so I came back.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “Having a guide dog lets me go to more places with greater confidence. A guide dog makes things like finding a door or finding a chair or counter in a waiting room much easier than it would be with a cane. Guide dogs also tend to be really friendly and are great companions.”
Were there any training highlights? “Danny does a great job and works well. He knows his commands and his indoor guiding skills are great. He works well in bigger stores; he’s confident and we can move faster. Danny’s confident about his choices.”
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (C) (3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind Federal Identification Number (EIN) is 13-1854606.
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