Gail and Danielle

Meet Graduate Gail

Graduate Team: Gail and Danielle
About the Team: Danielle, a female black Lab, is Gail’s 4th guide dog
Location: Pembine, Wisconsin
Training: September 2023 On-Campus

Gail is retired and lives with her husband Bob in the North Woods of Wisconsin.  She loves cooking and baking, so much so, that she and Bob will bake cookies and then her family and neighbors then help to decorate them. They are devoted grandparents who carve pumpkins and decorate cookies with their grandchildren for the Halloween season, and her husband decorates their fence with colored lights. They enjoy creating traditions for other holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas too. Gail enjoys being around other people, whether participating in her local Lions Camp with friends, or traveling on the county bus for outings of shopping, errands and visiting meal sites. Gail also loves to do crafts with beads, particularly making necklaces and keychains, and she stays active walking on a route around her neighborhood, six days a week.

How would you describe your guide dog? “Danielle is a joy to have in the house and she’s a good worker. When she’s in harness, she’s dedicated to working. Out of harness, she’s a happy, playful girl.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I heard about Guiding Eyes through my last puppy raiser from my previous guide dog school. They sent me a Christmas card with Guiding Eye’s name on the back. From there, I decided to give Guiding Eyes a call to learn more about them. I like how Guiding Eyes trainers work one-on-one with you. It helped to build my confidence.”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “Oh, my goodness, it makes me more independent and safer. I can do more things with a guide dog than before, and all in all, I feel safer.”

Were there any training highlights? “My training highlight was having a good connection with my trainer.  She was with us, but she also let us do our thing. We had a strong bond, so that was good. The training staff were wonderful, even though they could be a little strict when it came to knowing what our needs were. Also, we did some training in a bigger city than I’m used to, but we were fine. Our class bonded too, which was cool. We’re still contacting each other.”

Meet Guide Dog Danielle

DOB:  6/24/2021
Litter ID: 7DD21
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador
Gender: Female
Brood: Caprice
Stud: Ryan
Littermates: Dexter, Dottie, Dancer, Dante, Diesel
Region:  Maine
Regional Puppy Instructor: Lisa Bumbalo
Puppy Raiser:  The Darhower Family
Facebook: Maine Puppy Raisers

From the Puppy Raisers…

Our family had the extreme pleasure of raising Danielle. She is a sweet, eager, smart pup with the most beautiful gold eyes. Danielle is always excited to go places, and she came with us everywhere: to the ice rink, to the beach, to karate, to my college campus, to stores, to Salem and Boston, and even on vacation. She takes every situation in stride with a curious and confident mind. We know that she will be an amazing guide dog! ~The Darhower Family

Photos of the Team…