Graduate Team: Liz and Omaha
About the Team: Omaha, a female yellow Lab; Liz’s 2nd Guiding Eyes dog
Location: Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Training: December 2025 On-Campus
Liz is employed as a Customer Relationship Management analyst for an insurance carrier in Boston. She works from home much of the time but also visits local agencies and attends events. She is married and the mother of one son. In March 2019, she was matched with her first guide dog, Sylvia, a Labrador Retriever, who was retired at the end of 2025. Liz is now partnered with her second guide dog, Omaha. Liz loves fast walking, and Omaha is a perfect partner, matching her quick pace. Within a month of their graduation, Liz and Omaha appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show in New York City, where she shared her story of living with vision loss. Joining them were her son, Clark, and fellow graduate Rebekah with her guide dog, Kokomo, together representing the mission of Guiding Eyes. Liz gratefully acknowledges the volunteers of Guiding Eyes, whom she calls the heartbeat of the organization, and has embraced the confidence and independence her guide dogs have brought to her life.
How would you describe your guide dog? “She was originally chosen as a breeding dog, but ultimately became a guide dog. I imagine that her preference was instinct. When Omaha is working, she is amazing and so perceptive. When she is out of harness, she wants to play, especially with her retired guide dog sister, Sylvia.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I first started having diminished vision at the age of 8, which continued to deteriorate to the point that I started using a cane while attending UMass. I took a guide dog course at the Hadley Institute, where I met someone from Guiding Eyes. I was interested in a guide dog school located in the northeast. Guiding Eyes was about a three-hour drive from my house, and coupled with the fact that I had met someone from Guiding Eyes at the course I had taken, I applied for a Guiding Eyes dog in 2018. I was accepted in February 2019 and attended my first training class in March.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “Having a guide dog has changed my world. I have made so many friends in my neighborhood by being out and about walking every day. Walking with my dog has improved both my physical and mental health. Having a guide dog has given me the confidence to go out and explore the world on my own. I get around quicker and often outpace the sighted people around me! I often say that having my pup with me at all times is the best part of being blind.”
Were there any training highlights? “Omaha has been wonderful and quite different than Sylvia. She is extremely perceptive. For instance, when walking in the street, she steers me away from snow piles. Also, when walking in narrow spaces, like through open doors, she will quickly press herself against the side to provide enough room for me to walk through.”
DOB: 6/27/2023
Litter ID: 10OO23
Color/Breed: Yellow/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Lark
Stud: Champ
Littermates: Orlando, Odyssey, Mitchell, Oceanna, Ozark, Orchard, Ocala, Oberon
Region: Colorado
Regional Puppy Instructor: Kerry Lemerise
Puppy Raiser: Paul Huebner, Sandra Heller (foster)
Facebook: Colorado Puppy Raisers
Omaha is a confident, independent pup who plays hard during the day and cuddles by the fireplace at night. ~ Paul Huebner
