Guiding Eyes for the Blind takes great pride in our graduating guide dog teams! We celebrate the journey from puppy to guide dog, and honor all those involved along the way. We also respect the wishes of handlers who may prefer not to appear on our website. We hope you enjoy learning more about the following Guiding Eyes guide dog.
Graduated: September 2025
DOB: 7/18/2023
Litter ID: 3SS23
Color/Breed: Black/German Shepherd
Gender: Male
Brood: Hexa
Stud: Griffin FGDF
Littermates: Seuss, Stephen, Angel, Sunny
Region: Southern Tier NY
Regional Puppy Instructor: Cassie Houghton
Puppy Raiser: Bonnie Kelly, The Sortore Family
Facebook: Southern Tier Puppy Raisers
Although my time with Sweeney was very short as his starter raiser, he left me with high hopes for him. He was a fast learner, and I enjoyed his special loving ways. I hope my loving start sent him on the best path. ~ Bonnie Kelly
Sweeney was the perfect name for this pup – he has the sweetest personality and smiles all the time! He loves everyone he meets! His greatest strengths are his fantastic work ethic and his ability to stay focused. He is up for any challenge and adapts to the task at hand. Sweeney was a pleasure to raise! His goofy personality was a blast! He is a wonderful blend of silly and serious, all rolled into one! He was always up for a good game of fetch, and a few minutes later could go into work mode. He has the head tilt mastered and could melt anyone’s heart with his eyes! His favorite toys were, of course, a ball and a good stuffed animal! We are excited for this next leg of his journey – you are a fantastic team! He will be ready to take on the world and then snuggle with you after a long day. We are so proud of you Sweeney! ~ Wes and Kathy Sortore
