Anita and Nikolai

Meet Graduate Anita

Graduate Team:  Anita and Nikolai
About the Team:  Nikolai – male black Lab; Anita’s 1^st guide dog
Location:  Garfield, New Jersey
Training:  September 2024 On-Campus

Anita is a lifelong resident of New Jersey. After finishing high school, she enrolled at a local community college and completed two semesters. Currently, she works at a large industrial U.S. Postal facility that employs 3,000 people. Anita is responsible for navigating the building to keep the vending machines well-stocked, and she is working towards starting her own vending business. Anita is experiencing a growing sense of independence and travels to appointments or meets friends for dinner or a movie using New Jersey Transit’s ADA paratransit system. She enjoys going for walks at the mall and around her neighborhood, where she has access to various stores and a restaurant. The challenge of traveling at night has become easier for Anita as her confidence has grown with Nikolai at her side.

How would you describe your guide dog? “Nikolai impressed me from the first day of training. He listens really well. We bonded quickly, and he follows me everywhere! At home, he is very playful and has learned to bring me his toys when I ask.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes?  “I have friends that have guide dogs, and I envied the ease with which they move around.  My O&M instructor recommended Guiding Eyes to me.  The staff at Guiding Eyes made the application process smooth and easy.”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life?  “Since I got Nikolai, I feel both safer and more confident.  Nikolai helps me navigate the large and loud facility I work in.  He also makes it easier when I go to unfamiliar places. Prior to getting Nikolai, I was pretty independent but now I am even more so!”

Were there any training highlights? “I really enjoyed training at the Guiding Eyes campus. It was an easy and comfortable place to be.  The members of the class were very supportive and worked together, helping each other as we learned to handle our new guides. Walking with Nikolai at night was a highlight. My remaining vision is especially poor after dark. I was nervous when we went on our night walk and Nikolai could sense this. My trainer encouraged me to take a deep breath and relax, assuring me that as I relax, Nikolai will, too.  She was right! Now I have newfound confidence getting around in the evening.”

Meet Guide Dog Nikolai

DOB:  7/5/2022
Litter ID: S-1NN22
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Male
Brood: Madeline
Stud: Odin
Littermates: Nikon, Nova, Nana, Nifty
Region:  Wayne County
Regional Puppy Instructor: MeKalea Chambliss
Puppy Raiser:  Paul & Cindy Swift
Facebook: Wayne Cty Puppy Raisers

Special Recognition: Nikolai was named in memory of a special service dog, also a black Lab named Nikolai, by the Katz family.

From the Puppy Raiser…

As a puppy on program, Nikolai could balance work and play. He was always up for a challenge, trying to do his best at anything you asked. His willingness made puppy class fun to attend. He loves to retrieve, hike in the woods and swim! Nikolai especially enjoys being with people, making it easy to form a solid, trusting relationship. May you find much happiness and provide plenty of backend scratches! ~ Cindy Swift

Photos of the Team…