Karen and Angus

Meet Graduate Karen

Graduate Team: Karen & Angus
About the team: Angus: a male black lab; Karen’s 3rd Guiding Eyes dog
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Training: October 2024 Home Training

Karen and her guide dog, Angus, live in Chicago, Illinois. Karen works as a medical scheduler at the call center of the Chicago Lighthouse, and Angus enjoys accompanying her to work. In her free time, Karen likes to curl up with Angus, listen to audiobooks, and participate in her book club. One of Karen’s three daughters lives nearby, along with her grandchildren, who are already enamored with Angus. They bring out the puppy in this easy-going guide dog, who loves the opportunity to run and play.

How would you describe your guide dog?  “He is pretty much laid back! With my grandchildren, he can be a bit rambunctious, but if I try to throw toys for him, he just looks and moves on. He’s such a great boy. If he hears a loud noise, he recovers really quickly. I’ve had a ball with every dog I’ve had, but I’m doing things with Angus that I didn’t do with Ansel or Hampton. Every morning before we leave the door I tell him, ‘I need you to do great things for me so that we can do great things together.’”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “Well we’re talking 20 years back, two things made me want to go to Guiding Eyes. Number one, I was at a presentation about guide dogs, and what really intrigued me was that this gorgeous dog was under a table, and he kept his eyes on the speaker, John, the entire time. I told my husband I had to go to this school. The second thing was when my husband and I watched a feature about Guiding Eyes on network TV. I put my application in and in February 2004 I got the news that I was getting a dog.  That was Hampton! Ever since I have never wanted to go to any other school than Guiding Eyes. I like their dogs, the way that they train the dogs, and I like the way they train us to handle the dogs! Also, a factor was that I wanted to go somewhere that had the same weather conditions as Chicago. I could have considered a school in California, but then I was thinking that when we get cold and subzero temperatures, that dog will be in shock!”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “He is more than a companion. He is my life. I worked for 2 1/2 years with the cane, and I felt so vulnerable. With Angus, I feel a lot safer out traveling. I can’t speak for all guide dog users, but having Angus at home has changed me. People have noticed. They say I seem happier, I walk better, and I’m doing more things than I was doing before. I used to go to work, come home, and get in bed. That all changed with Angus.”

Were there any training highlights?  “One thing that I’m always going to remember is training with Jim. We were working this particular day on the street near my house. We had just left the bank and were walking down to the doctor’s office. There was someone else walking with a dog down the street and it was the first time I ever heard Angus bark. At first, it took me by surprise, but I immediately dropped the harness handle, had him sit, and then had him down. Jim told me he was so impressed with how I handled that! I told him, this wasn’t my first rodeo! When we worked him over to Walgreens, people were staring at him and how big he is. I went in there with the biggest grin on my face.”

Meet Guide Dog Angus

DOB:  5/1/2022
Litter ID: 1AA22
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Male
Brood: Vanna
Stud: Elton
Littermates: Ambie, Ada, Aladdin, Avril, Arthur, Albert
Region:  Eastern CT
Regional Puppy Instructor: Maureen Hollis
Puppy Raiser:  Erica & Ron Reid
Facebook: Eastern CT Puppy Raisers

Photos of the Team…