Graduate Team: Mary Ann and JoJo
About the Team: JoJo, a female black Lab; Mary Ann’s 2nd guide dog
Location: Logansport, Indiana
Training: June 2026 – Home Training
Mary Ann is a retired speech therapist and audiologist. She has lived with low vision throughout her life due to rubella and retinopathy. When she experienced traumatic blindness and lost her remaining vision, she was unable to return to her professional career. Despite these challenges, Mary Ann has remained active and engaged through her work as a disability advocate. Working from home, she evaluates websites using assistive technologies and draws on both her personal experience and professional background to provide feedback on accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired. Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue tutoring opportunities. Mary Ann is mother to two adopted daughters, who are now adults, 20 and 26. She looks forward to traveling by train to visit her older daughter in Illinois with JoJo. She used a cane for less than a year before applying for her first guide dog, Kirstie, in 2015 and upon the guide’s retirement, she adopted her as a pet. Prior to being matched with, JoJo, Mary Anne suffered a serious fall and underwent four weeks of inpatient rehabilitation, followed by 20 weeks of outpatient therapy. During this difficult time, Guiding Eyes RGDMI, (remote instructor), Dave Hagemann, remained in touch. Mary Ann is very involved in family care and church activities and looks forward to her return to All Saints Catholic Church. This will be JoJo’s first experience in joining her as she teaches religious instruction to children, ages 3–5 year old.
How would you describe your guide dog? “JoJo is about the same size as my retired guide dog, Kirstie. JoJo is very sweet, calm and gentle. She nudges me with her nose and makes me giggle. JoJo spotted my hand weights and decided that she likes to play with them, too. She checks back on me all the time and is ready to go any time I pick up the harness. JoJo loves to play. Both JoJo and Kirstie are gentle with each other, and they lay curled up together. Kirstie has a basket of plushies and squeaky toys she loves to play with, and she would return them to the basket each night. Now JoJo takes them out to play too, but at the end of the day, Kirstie puts them back.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “My first guide dog, Kirstie, saved me and after having her since 2016, I had no doubt about going back to Guiding Eyes for my next guide dog. She was a match made in heaven!”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “I feel like I’ve gotten a part of my life back. I knew I didn’t want to be a cane user all the time. I cannot imagine not being able to move around. I walk in blackness, so need to rely on JoJo to be my eyes. She walks me up the aisle in church and brings me to the pew.”
Were there any training highlights? “It was really neat having training at home with Dave. I liked the personalization and customized training. We would walk on the county road every day. We walked all over the place – going for ice cream, to the park, ball fields and carousel. Dave took a graduation team picture of JoJo and me in front of a carousel! Doing a home training, I wanted to get back my ability to walk to church, my classroom, the mall, the grocery store and all the other places I usually go. For a follow up visit with Dave, I’d like to work on going on the train. One of my daughters lives 4 ½ hrs. away, and I’d like to be able to visit her.”
DOB: 7/21/24
Litter ID: 5JJ24
Color/Breed: Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Queenie
Stud: Gerald
Littermates: Janice, Julie, Jersey, Judy
Region: Maine Puppy Raising Region
Regional Puppy Instructor: Lisa Bumbalo
Puppy Raiser: Isabella Messer
Facebook: Maine Puppy Raisers
Jojo is an old soul who will not only make an incredible teammate but also a great friend! Through our time with Jojo, we found that some of her favorite outings were watching FIRST Robotics Competitions, going to sports games, traveling on a lobster boat, and playing in the backyard with her favorite humans! She helped educate a lot of people about her journey and what these incredible dogs can help do! She is my first GEB dog and I have wanted to raise a pup for a long time as my Great Grandmother raised 5 GEB dogs. Jojo is sent with our love and hopes for a bright future, you won’t find a better companion! ~ Isabella Messer
