Darla and Blaze

Meet Graduate Darla

Graduate Team:   Darla and Blaze
About the Team:  Blaze is a female, yellow Labrador Retriever and Darla’s second Guiding Eyes dog.
Location:  Tulsa, Oklahoma
Training:   July 2024 On-Campus

Darla is active in several organizations, including the Tulsa Council of the Blind, the Oklahoma Council of the Blind, and The American Council of the Blind. Despite dealing with the daily effects of arthritis, she is also involved in various programs at the West Tulsa Freewill Baptist Church, where she volunteers for Community Day, providing food and clothing to the community. Darla was raised in a large family with four brothers and three sisters. She enjoys spending time with family, which includes her one living brother, two sons, and their families, all of whom live nearby. Darla is the proud grandmother of seven grandsons and has three great-grandchildren, (2 boys and a girl), whose ages range from 6 months to 4 years old. Darla and her husband enjoy the positive messages of old TV shows such as the Andy Griffith Show and Little House on the Prairie. They also love listening to music and enthusiastically follow the victories and seasons of their Oklahoma Sooners.

How would you describe your guide dog?  “Blaze is soft, sweet, loveable, and loves to play. My husband and I live in a residential neighborhood, and he drives us, although I will also be using Para Transit more.  Whether we are walking, riding in a bus or car, or on the plane coming back to Oklahoma when Blaze is in harness, she responds well to commands like ‘touch’ and when we walk to church, Blaze knows the exact row that now has my name on it for us.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes?  “Having worked with guide dogs from another school for years, I talked to a friend who had a guide dog from Guiding Eyes. I decided to explore that school.  Melissa, a field rep, [Regional Guide Dog Mobility Instructor], came to my house to interview me and assess my gait. Brianna met me at LaGuardia Airport, and Susan was my instructor while I was at the school.  Everyone was so nice and so supportive.  We were there over the July 4^th holiday, and Blaze didn’t even react to the fireworks.”

How has a guide dog impacted your life?  “You meet more people, and it is easier to get around.  You don’t run into anything, and it gives you a pleasant feeling to have a guide dog by your side.  With my arthritis, I had asked for a dog that doesn’t pull hard, and Blaze is just right for me. Having the company of a guide dog with you is an absolutely amazing experience.  It was in my prayers that Guiding Eyes would accept me.”

Were there any training highlights?  “We went on a train and Blaze laid down and did very well.  We also experienced walking in a mall, going to restaurants and doing a night walk.  In Beacon, we went into a bakery that had strawberry and Nutella crepes that were very good, and we had a good time.  The food at the school was wonderful too and they are very careful about food allergies or specific dislikes. The nursing staff, Donna, Cathy, and Stephanie were very nice and helpful with my rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.  Susan was very proactive and helpful in arranging for Melissa to come to my house and work with Blaze and me for three days when I was first home.  I am grateful for the increased safety and independence guide dogs have provided for me.”

Meet Guide Dog Blaze

DOB:  1/6/2022
Litter ID: 1B22
Color/Breed:  Yellow/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Guava
Stud: Wiggins
Littermates: Bay, Barclay, Biscuit, Bentley, Badge, Blossom
Region:  Fingerlakes NY
Regional Puppy Instructor: Cassie Houghton
Puppy Raiser:  Kelsey Roy
Facebook: Fingerlakes Puppy Raisers

Photos of the Team…