Graduate Team: Deborah and Keeper
About the Team Keeper, a yellow Lab male; Deborah’s 7th guide dog
Location: Glenside, Pennsylvania
Training: April 2025 On-Campus
Deborah has been retired from the practice of law for about 25 years. During this time, she has actively contributed to the community by volunteering with various non-profit organizations. She enjoys a variety of physical activities, including working out, running, skiing, and golfing, to stay fit. Visually impaired and experiencing hearing loss since adolescence, Deborah has relied on guide dogs for assistance since 1987. All seven of her guide dogs have been from Guiding Eyes, and she and her last guide dog, Iris, were the 13th certified Running Guide team. Her current guide dog, Keeper, is also a Running Guide. Having a well-trained guide dog allows Deborah to maintain the freedom and independence she loves so much.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Keeper is a very handsome 2-year-old male yellow Lab. He has a nice balance of being chill, playful, affectionate, and focused on work. He also loves his toys! Keeper likes to take his toys out of the box and spread them all out on the floor to play with. He will often have 12-15 toys out all at once! Keeper is much more of a cuddler than my last guide dog and also loves resting with pillows and blankets. While he will not go on the couch or furniture, if I leave the room and there is a throw blanket dangling from the couch, when I come back, it will have been moved down just a little more to allow Keeper to make himself a little bed!”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I applied for my first guide dog in 1986 while in college. I had been having more difficulty crossing streets safely, and a guide dog was recommended to me by the New Jersey Commission for the Blind. Guiding Eyes was willing to consider candidates with both hearing and vision disabilities. I appreciated the way they focused on my abilities and what I could do, and what a guide dog could do to help me accomplish my goals. Keeper is my seventh guide dog from Guiding Eyes, and they’ve all been healthy, well-bred dogs, trained exceedingly well, and perfectly matched to my individual needs and lifestyle. I wanted a guide dog that loved to learn new things, was comfortable in many different work environments, and truly loved to guide. I knew I could get a guide like that from Guiding Eyes. Guiding Eyes also has great follow-up support from the Training and Veterinary staff, if and when graduates need it.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “Having a guide dog has had a tremendous impact on my life. It has helped me come to terms with my blindness and realize that I can be blind and still be a successful and independent human being. Having a guide dog has allowed me to get around safely and independently, regardless of the time of day or night, what mode of transportation I choose to take, or where I choose to travel. It has increased my self-confidence and improved my self-esteem.”
Were there any training highlights? “On a cooler, rainy day, most of the class went back to the Yorktown campus after our morning training runs. Dan Weesner, Guiding Eyes Placement Specialist and my trainer, agreed to take another student and me out on a training run in the torrential rain to practice shorelining along local streets. I was able to see how my new guide dog, Keeper, guided me around huge puddles, potholes, water streaming down the street, and storm drains. We all got drenched, but had a good time, and learned how each dog tackled every situation differently, customizing its work to its handler’s needs. One day, our class instructors took the entire class to walk a long bridge, the Walkway Over the Hudson. It was a beautiful sunny day. I believe our guide dogs had not been there previously, so they were guiding us on fresh territory. It was great because it felt like we were free, and everyone could go at their own pace. Afterwards, we stopped for ice cream, which one of the students in the class generously paid for.”
DOB: 5/30/2023
Litter ID: 7KK23
Color/Breed: Yellow/Labrador
Gender: Male
Brood: Emblem
Stud: Kisco
Littermates: Kite, Kahuna, Kingdom, Kenai, Kimpton, Khaki, Kimmie, Koi
Region: Fingerlakes
Regional Puppy Instructor: Cassie Houghton
Puppy Raiser: Jillian Conlon, Miss Shyanne Dunn, Rosie Hsu
Facebook: Fingerlakes Puppy Raisers
Raising a pup was no easy task. Especially with a sassy little Keeper. However, his lovable personality, his eagerness to please, and his intelligence always blew me away. The best part of raising a little keeper was getting to know him and creating a bond like no other. ~ Jillian Conlon
