John and Bankie

Meet Graduate John

Graduate Team:   John and Bankie
About the Team:  Bankie, a male, black Labrador Retriever is John’s 6th Guiding Eyes dog.
Location:  Coral Springs, Florida
Training:   July 2024 On-Campus

John is retired, but his passion for 30 years has been riding, training, and selling barrel horses for equestrian competitions. In Ocala, he oversaw the breeding of 289 mares resulting in 130 foals.  John earned a minor in Psychology and through online resources, studied Criminal Law and Medical training. He then studied electronic assembly at the Manderfield Technical Training Lab at the Rehab Center for the Blind in Daytona. He was with Motorola for three years, working with tuners, testers, and engineers, and doing assembly, soldering, and other work on items like police radios. For years John had some remaining central vision but has been totally blind for more than 16 years. However, he doesn’t let that stop him from assisting neighbors in his apartment complex, recently assembling a vacuum cleaner and some furniture.

How would you describe your guide dog?  “Bankie is an affectionate, loving dog.  In harness, he is a proud walking dog, and he enjoys sauntering as he goes.  He responds well and is a hard worker.  He has excellent pull and is always on the mark.  He stays way over to the left, so I am as close to the middle as possible. He may look around a bit, but he doesn’t ‘window shop’.  In weather like this, if it is too hot, he has booties that will protect his paws on hot pavement.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes?  “Back in 1982, my mother and her friend helped me by researching several guide dog schools. They found that Guiding Eyes had the best training record and the safest, most dependable dogs. I applied and have gone back there for my guide dogs ever since.”

How has a guide dog impacted your life?  “With my Guiding Eyes dogs, I’ve been able to go to different places that I had never been before. With the commands they teach us and by listening to where I am, I can go safely and confidently to different locations whether in a restaurant or store; any place.”

Were there any training highlights?  “I was in a class of seven students and Caroline was one of our instructors. We did a night walk and also walks around Yorktown, White Plains, and Beacon. We went to a coffee shop and were in a sitting area, and Bankie just lay quietly by my chair. We practiced ‘traffic checks’, simulating a car coming from either direction and also a shopping cart check.  At the school, the kitchen staff were very helpful, and the food was excellent. If the dogs were staying in our rooms, the staff were always helpful doing things like pulling out a chair for us.  Everything was good;  it’s nice having the new ramp leading to the dining room now, rather than the stairs that were formerly there.  Two of the seven classmates were getting their first guide dogs. Trainers took extra time to ensure that students understood dog commands, voice inflection, tone, etc. They made sure we felt comfortable with getting the dog to do what we wanted him or her to do, using the dog’s name and talking in a firm but not yelling voice.” 

Meet Guide Dog Bankie

DOB:  5/11/2022
Litter ID: 8BB22
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Male
Brood: Dana
Stud: Rider
Littermates: Burt, Bijou, Bernie, Brandt, Baxter, Bevy, Bryna, Broadway, Beacon, Belgium
Region:  Central NY
Regional Puppy Instructor: MeKalea Chambliss
Puppy Raiser:  Terry and Eileen Matro, Mary Oonk
Facebook: Central NY Puppy Raisers

From the Puppy Raiser…

Bankie is such a joy! He was always such a happy boy and eager to take on any adventure. His easy-going, affable nature made him a very popular boy with all our region volunteers. Bankie went on many PR activities with me and he was always a crowd pleaser. We met with pre-schoolers, college students, retirees and plenty of folks in between – Bankie was always a pro. I wish TEAM BANKIE all the best in the new adventures they will take on together! ~ Mary Oonk

Photos of the Team…