Ann and Festiva

Meet Graduate Ann

Graduate Team:  Ann and Festiva
About the Team:  Festiva is a female, black Lab and Ann’s 2^nd Guiding Eyes dog.
Location:  Novi, Michigan
Training:  July 2024 On-Campus

Ann has a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan.  She enjoys traveling and has fond memories of a trip to Disney World and cruises with her parents, to places like Cozumel in Mexico and Jamaica. Ann enjoys reading and is a fan of fantasy books such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. She likes going to concerts when she has the opportunity and has attended concerts for the Back Street Boys and New Kids on the Block. Ann is surrounded by family, as her parents and siblings live in her area. Her guide dog, Festiva, helps her get around her hometown, walking to Dunkin Donuts, the grocery store, the library, and the nail shop. When the cold Michigan winters hit, she’ll enjoy walking at the local mall.

How would you describe your guide dog?  “Tiva is curious, loves people, and is very smart.  If I show her a place one time, she remembers it. She loves to play, and when you praise her. In harness, she is all business, and she knows exactly what to do and gets right to it. She gets me to the curb and knows where I get coffee in the mall.  When the trainer was here, I said, ‘Tiva, take me to Dunkin Donuts’ and she took us right to the door.  She loves to work, and she’s better than my Google map.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “At the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, there were people there with their guide dogs from the different guide schools all over the country. Every opportunity I asked, ‘Where did you get your dog? Did you like the school? What are the pros and cons?’ I spoke to a man who had been getting his dogs at Guiding Eyes for decades and he told me all about it. When I got home I researched all the schools online.  They answered all my questions and when Dave, my Guide Dog Mobility Instructor, came to assess me for my first dog Mint, he was so great.  I have some anxiety issues and Guiding Eyes’ smaller group of students works better for me. As far as the training at the school, I loved it. I will never go to any other school.  Guiding Eyes always has your back, 100%.”

How has a guide dog impacted your life?  “When you get home, you begin to get a rhythm, and you really start to fly.  You bond with your dog even more and your dog picks up on things and responds even more. You communicate sometimes without even using words.  I can go to the gym, and the mall, and recently my friend and I went to a taco fest, a movie theater, and downtown where it was crowded with dogs.  Tiva wants to play with every dog she sees, so we’re still working on that, but having a guide dog is like walking like a sighted person.”

Were there any training highlights?  “The night walk was different. You really begin to trust your dog. We also walked into stores, and she was great.  We did traffic checks and practiced ‘intelligent disobedience’.  With my previous Guiding Eyes dog, Mint, there was a hybrid car, and we were starting across the street.  She was so smart, stopping me and backing me safely up on the curb. The trainers, Michelle, Kat, and Ellin were all great.  Also, Rob and the kitchen staff were great, and the food and snacks were so good.  Loved the kitchen staff. Thank you Guiding Eyes. I felt like I was in a 5-star hotel.”

Meet Guide Dog Festiva

DOB:  9/13/2022
Litter ID: 4F322
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador
Gender: Female
Brood: Gibby
Stud: Elton
Littermates: Frito, Fozzy, Frisco, Fuji, Fajita, Fletch, Farley, Fiat
Region:  Eastern MA, Northern NJ
Regional Puppy Instructor: Lisa Bumbalo, Elizabeth Vacchiano
Puppy Raiser:  Tomra Vecere & Family, Mia Feola & Family
Facebook: Eastern Mass Puppy Raisers
Facebook: Northern New Jersey Puppy Raisers

From the Puppy Raiser…

“Raise a puppy, change a life” is a motto I heard while raising Festiva. During my journey raising Festiva, she has changed my life. She came to me as an energetic puppy and became a confident, hardworking girl. I enjoyed taking her on many adventures with me to prepare her for her future career. Whether doing returns at Macy’s or walking over the crowded Brooklyn Bridge in NYC, Festiva was ready to work. When she wasn’t working, she loved to play with her dog friends and go on sniffy walks. I am so lucky I got to play a part in Festiva’s journey. I’m excited for Festiva to embark on this new chapter of her career. ~Mia Feola 

Festiva is one of the sweetest puppies we have had! She is so loving. She loved her kennel, it was so funny. She would run in any chance she had, so proud and looking for a treat – which of course she only got if we asked her to kennel. Our Newfoundland Enzo was particularly protective of our first female puppy and would always sleep right next to her kennel. He also protected her from some reactive dogs one day, and Festiva was unphased! All Enzo had to do was step in between them and stare at them and they stopped reacting, Festiva trotted off with me and looked back happily for her buddy to follow. You are so lucky to have a sweet AND confident pup! ~Tomra Vecere 

Photos of the Team…