Evelyn and Lenora

Meet Graduate Evelyn

Graduate Team: Evelyn and Lenora
About the Team: Lenora: female black Lab; Evelyn’s 2^nd Guiding Eyes dog
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland
Training: November 2034 On-Campus

Evelyn worked at IBM for thirty-five years as a financial analyst before her retirement. She lives with her guide dog, Lenora, and her retired guide dog from Guiding Eyes, Ives in Maryland, thirty minutes north of Washington, DC. She attended Gallaudet University and obtained her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. Evelyn has two adult children, a daughter and a son, and was recently widowed when her husband passed away after a long illness. Looking ahead, she hopes to travel in the future with Lenora by her side. Evelyn’s hobbies include knitting, crocheting, and walking up to five miles daily.

How would you describe your guide dog? “Lenora loves to snuggle and give kisses. She and Ives love each other and play a great deal of the time when Lenora is not working. They can often be found lying side by side, sharing a bed.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes?  “I looked into several schools and reviewed their programs with the assistance of my children. The other schools would not consider me as a guide dog candidate because of my hearing loss. In the end, it didn’t really matter, because I wanted Guiding Eyes from the very beginning due to their reputation.”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “I am much more independent with a guide dog. With a guide dog by my side, I can take long walks, which I love, and no longer have to worry about bumping into parked cars, or walking into leaf or snow piles. Everything is so much smoother going.”

Were there any training highlights? “My trainer was Michelle Tang. She was good at helping me change some of my old guide dog habits, yet she recognized and incorporated my positive guide dog skills. Some new positive changes to the Guiding Eyes campus were not available during my initial visit. These include a playground for the dogs and more shoreline training, making it enjoyable for walkers like myself. We also had the opportunity to walk and train at the FDR State Park.”

Meet Guide Dog Lenora

DOB:  6/21/2022
Litter ID: 1LL22
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Via
Stud: Elrod
Littermates: Leone, Lupo, Lorenzo, Lucerne, Luigi, Lenny
Region:  Baltimore, Catoctin
Regional Puppy Instructor: Jeanyne Gembarski
Puppy Raiser:  Linda Cross, The Miller Family
Facebook: Baltimore Puppy Raisers
Facebook: Catoctin Puppy Raisers

From the Puppy Raiser…

Lenora’s favorite place was with my released GEB pup, Echo, who reinforced all of the training demands. As my 12th pup, Lenora was the brightest and most energetic (like the ever-ready bunny)! What a joy! ~ Linda Cross

 Lenora was 14 months old when my family began raising her. We are grateful to her first raiser, Linda, for giving her such a wonderful start. While it took a bit of time for her to warm up to us, she soon enjoyed laying beside us when we sat on the floor. She became so loyal that I nicknamed her “Loyal Lenora.” Lenora’s favorite thing is to play fetch. She spent hours retrieving her ball, often dropping it in our laps when she wanted to play. Lenora also loved playing in the snow and jumping up to catch snowballs. Lenora was such an easy dog to raise. We can’t wait to see the adventures that she gets to experience with her partner. ~ Jen Miller

Photos of the Team…