International Guide Dog Day

One might assume that every day at Guiding Eyes is guide dog day, and that is certainly true, but on the last Wednesday in April people around the world pay tribute to the dogs who do this impressive work. International Guide Dog Day is today, April 26, 2023, and Guiding Eyes celebrates all our exceptional guide dogs and their handlers.

The local news network, News12 Westchester, aired a segment entitled “Dogs from Guiding Eyes make powerful change for people with blindness and vision loss”.  The piece highlights how guide dogs bring a powerful and meaningful change to the lives of people facing the daily challenges that blindness and vision loss present. It touches on Guiding Eyes for the Blind’s mission, the training a guide dog goes through, the benefits to our graduates, and the importance of donors and volunteers to the organization, including puppy raisers.

The News12 segment features Guide Dog Mobility Instructor Deanna Lentini with 2-year-old black Lab and guide-dog-in-training, Mabel. Mabel was raised by Laura Fricker of the Richmond Puppy Raising Region. Deanna and Mabel demonstrated basic obedience skills, as well as things like knowing when to stop and go. They even allowed the journalist to take the support leash in hand, who was delighted when Mabel settled into a down position quite willingly.  Deanna spoke to the training process Mabel is currently undergoing to become a guide dog, and the difference she will make in the life of the individual experiencing vision loss, who will one day become her handler.

We invite you to watch the segment here on the News12 website.