Elizabeth and Henna

Meet Graduate Lizzy

Graduate Team: Elizabeth and Henna
About the Team: Henna, a female yellow lab, is Lizzy’s 1st guide dog
Location: North Granby, Connecticut
Training: June 2024 On-Campus

Lizzy’s connection to Guiding Eyes began more than a decade before her match with guide dog, Henna.  She comes to the school with a unique perspective, as she is part of a family that raised four puppies for Guiding Eyes in the Northern CT region. She recently graduated from Assumption University with a double major in human services and Spanish and a minor in women’s studies, with study abroad in Salamanca, Spain. Lizzy is passionate about helping blind and visually impaired individuals find work-based learning and study-abroad opportunities. She does so through her work with LEAP, a Vermont organization that provides such work-based opportunities and has mentor and summer residential programs. She works with Mobility International USA, in an externship program for individuals with disabilities, which encourages study abroad. Her summer project has been developing a resource guide for visually impaired students to study abroad in Spain. This summer, Lizzy is working as an assistant program facilitator at Castle in the Clouds, a historic New Hampshire estate, assisting with field trips, story times, crafts,  and yoga. She enjoys traveling domestically and internationally, as well as engaging in outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, hiking, and biking. Additionally, Lizzy finds joy in reading historical fiction and fantasy books and has recently rekindled her interest in coloring. Lizzy and her older sister Angela love exploring, and they have a bucket list of things they plan to do while summering in New Hampshire. The sisters reside with their parents and poodle, Lucy, in Connecticut, and are close to their grandma and aunt who live nearby.

How would you describe your guide dog? “Her trainer Jolene described her as ‘spicy’, and I feel like that’s accurate because she is super energetic. She’ll lick you to death and want to be pet, or she’ll take a break and go lay by herself somewhere. She doesn’t have a middle speed. She loves to swim and being at the lake is her favorite thing. She definitely knows when it’s time to work, but I appreciate that she shows her personality when she’s working.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “My family and I were puppy raisers for about 12 years and raised 4 dogs. That’s how we knew about Guiding Eyes and what led me to apply. When picking a school, Guiding Eyes was the first to get back to me with a match. They were great – I’d been pushing off the application because I was studying abroad, among other things.”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “It’s made travel a lot quicker. It’s funny because it’s a partnership, but you don’t realize how much it is until you’re actually working together. While Henna may be able to get me around stuff, I still need to pay attention so it’s on both of you. One cool thing was when we were out to dinner a couple of weeks ago. Without being given direction, Henna easily returned to the table and chair we were sitting at. Once we’ve been somewhere, she can confidently navigate any obstacles to keep us on track.”

Were there any training highlights? “There’s one moment from our second week that I think about a lot. We did a hiking route near FDR Park, and we finally clicked. The whole week before, we were working on our pace and trying to nail that down. Then we were in the woods, and she was stopping at roots and going around things. It was cool to see her in action, knowing she has a job and can be helpful. She loves to walk fast, and she’s fun to have in city spaces because she’ll sprint down the sidewalks.”

Meet Guide Dog Henna

DOB:  6/7/2022
Litter ID: 6HH22
Color/Breed:  Yellow/Labrador
Gender: Female
Brood: Bonnie
Stud: Bosley
Littermates: Henry, Harvey, Helix, Herb, Heron
Region:  Northern NJ, Remote
Regional Puppy Instructor: Elizabeth Vacchiano, Leslie Stephens
Puppy Raiser:  Olivia Miller
Facebook: Northern NJ Puppy Raisers

From the Puppy Raiser…

Every day spent with Henna was like a sunny day in your favorite place. From the day I picked Henna up, my life became so much brighter. Henna knows how to make anyone smile, and laugh, so hard. Her happy go lucky personality is so contagious and it made raising her an absolute joy. She helped me grow as a trainer, puppy raiser and person and was the best buddy to tackle all of life’s challenges with. I have seen first hand how much happier she makes life, and I am so excited to see what a light she shines in Lizzy’s future. We are so proud and love you so much Henna! Congrats team Lizzy and Henna! ~ Olivia Miller

Photos of the Team…