Another special Guiding Eyes day

I had the recent honor of attending the Connecticut State Police graduation ceremony for Guiding Eyes dog Nacoma, who will have the distinction of being the first arson detection dog in the state of Rhode Island. Nacoma was raised in the Capital region by Katerina Wehe, a sophomore in high school.

I watched as Nacoma was brought in and allowed to greet Katerina. Their reunion had me choking back tears. He was very excited to see her again and yet was able to split his enthusiasm between Katerina and his new handler.

The law enforcement trainers at CSP and the Rhode Island State Police were grateful for all the work Katerina had done with Nacoma – from his foundational training to the development of the relationship that allows this talented dog to enjoy his work. In addition, they communicated their incredible belief in the strength of the dogs that come from Guiding Eyes; they took me to the wall of photos and pointed out all of our dogs that have gone through their program.

I was proud to represent Guiding Eyes that day, and I feel blessed to be part of the lives of our volunteers as they prepare our pups for their all important work.

– ML Hansen, Regional Puppy Program Manager