Meet Graduate Lisa
Graduate Team: Lisa and Fay
About the Team: Fay, a female black Lab is Lisa’s 1st guide dog
Location: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Training: March 2023 On-Campus
Lisa comes to Guiding Eyes from Canada for her first guide dog. She ran her own business for 24 years, selling tickets for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. She is a graduate of her local high school and an accomplished athlete. She is proud of the silver medal she earned in swimming at the 1993 Canada Summer Games. Currently she enjoys playing the game of curling during the winter months. She knows other Guiding Eyes graduates and is grateful to have a guide dog of her own, increasing her sense of independence and confidence day by day.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Fay just turned 28 months old. She is a beautiful and loving dog. Fay has very silky fur and my family always comments on how pretty her tail is. She is exactly what I had hoped for! She likes to work and together we are learning to work as a team.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “As my vision continues to decline, I wanted a dog to maintain my independence. I have limited vision during the day and no vision at night. My sister has a guide dog from another school and a friend has a dog from Guiding Eyes. I applied to both schools, but Guiding Eyes was very responsive and communicated with me throughout the process. It was clear they were working hard to find just the right dog for me, and they did!”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “For me it was amazing to walk with a guide dog versus a cane. I do not need to know about every obstacle; Fay just takes me around it and we continue our route. On a recent trip into Vancouver, a well-meaning fellow transit passenger tried to guide me toward an escalator or elevator. They were unsure how I could navigate stairs, but with Fay, I am independent, capable, and confident in a variety of situations, including stairs! After having Fay for just a short time, I rode the bus and others commented how brave I am. A secondary benefit to me is the responsibility of having a dog to care for and Fay’s schedule to maintain. I find it very motivating and helpful to have that structure in my day.”
Were there any training highlights? “The entire training experience was fantastic. I trained at the Guiding Eyes campus in New York. In fact, it was the furthest east I have ever traveled. Maybe I am brave! Every member of the staff was an absolute pleasure! Since the Juno Walk, I knew Fay was ‘my girl’ and the dog for me. Another highlight was meeting Fay’s puppy raiser. I keep in touch with her raiser, and they are a good resource, given the amount of experience they have with Fay.”
Meet Guide Dog Fay
DOB: 12/22/2020
Litter ID: 6F320
Color/Breed: Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Mercy
Stud: Dasher
Littermates: Fairlee, Forest, Florie, Flower, Fanta, Fulton
Region: Southern CT
Regional Puppy Instructor: Maureen Hollis
Puppy Raiser: Lauren Doninger
Facebook: Southern Connecticut Puppy Raisers
From the Puppy Raiser…
Fay was an exuberant puppy who was always ready for a new adventure. Her favorite outings included mud puddles or low tide. During much of Fay’s puppyhood she had two modes – quick-learning pup on program or queen of mischief. Fay was a build-up, activated puppy. One of the things that I needed to learn about Fay was to end activities early and be sure that she went right into the crate for some quiet time. One of Fay’s cutest habits was how she put herself to bed at 8:30 each night. If the crate door wasn’t open, she would get it open. When this girl is done for the day – she is done. I wish great success to Fay and her handler! ~ Lauren Doniger
Photos of the Team…
