May Home Training
Graduate Team: Lu Ann and Jaedah
About the Team: Jaedah, a female yellow Lab, is Lu Ann’s 3rd Guiding Eyes dog
Hometown: Irving, Texas
Guide Dog Mobility Instructor: Nikki Wentz
May Home Training
Lu Ann Schmidt was recently trained alongside Jaedah, her third Guiding Eyes dog. Lu Ann and her husband Mike, live in Irving, Texas and have been married for 30 years. They are the parents of three adult children and have five grandchildren. Lu Ann’s hobbies and interests include reading, particularly romance novels, and adding to her bell collection. Lu Ann has been blind since birth. She trained at Lane Community College, as an early childhood educator. She worked for 26 years in the field and currently works in packaging for Envision Dallas, a not-for-profit agency serving the visually impaired.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Jaedah is sweet. She’s a very good girl with a personality all her own.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I selected Guiding Eyes for my first guide dog, and then for Jaedah, my third guide dog, because they have been amazingly responsive in getting back to me whenever I have a question or concern. From submitting an initial application for a guide dog through the process moving forward, they have been a wonderful resource.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “Jaedah has provided me more mobility and enabled me to easily discover entrances to new locations. She also remembers those locations she has been to before. She is so helpful and has enabled me to feel absolutely safer than I felt using my cane.”
Were there any training highlights? “I was trained at home by Nikki Wentz. Every day of training got better and better. Nikki was very patient during the training process, making it easy for me. I would also like to mention that Jim Gardner selected a perfect match when he paired Jaedah up with me.”
Jaedah was a joy to raise. From her curiosity at the world around her to her willingness to explore her surroundings. As she grew and the world opened up I really enjoyed our daily outings catching her up on what she’d missed because of Covid and discovering new things.I wish you both well in you journey together and know she will bring you lots of joy.
Christine Zunino, Puppy Raiser of Jaedah
Jaedah, is from Terri’s first litter (our foster-brood, who we raised). Jaedah is named after a yellow lab family pet that we had and loved very much. I wanted to raise one of Terri’s puppies at some point, but did not think it would be from her first litter. When my mother (Chris) agreed to co-raise with me I decided to give it a go. Jaedah was our COVID puppy, we got her 3/22/20, not long after everything shut down. I am very certain that had it not been for mama’s experience as puppy raiser for GEB and then 10 years as Northern CT area coordinator that Jaedah would not be the dog she is today.
Rachel Hsu, Puppy Raiser of Jaedah
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (C) (3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind Federal Identification Number (EIN) is 13-1854606.
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