Graduate Team: Mia and Melon
About the Team: Melon, a female yellow Lab; Mia’s 1st guide dog
Location: Pittsburg, Kansas
Training: August 2025 On-Campus
Mia is a senior at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, majoring in English and creative writing. She plans to continue at Pitt for her master’s degree, aiming for a career as a professor or in editing and publishing. She enjoys a variety of activities, including reading, writing, and singing in the university choir. In her downtime, she also enjoys watching TV and being with friends and family. Mia is active on campus as the fiction editor for the Cow Creek Review, Pitt State’s literary magazine, and as president of the writing club. Outside of school, she lives with her parents in a busy household that includes seven siblings and six dogs.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Out of harness, Melon is friendly, excitable, and cuddly. She loves people and will walk up to greet them. In harness, she’s focused, weaving around cars and crowds on campus. She walks fast, so my friends call her Zoomie Girl. Melon is so smart and picked up our routes really well. We get surprised all the time with construction, trees being cut down, and people everywhere. One time when a tree was being cut, I started in the tree’s direction, and Melon wouldn’t let me go near it.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I have a couple of friends who have dogs from Guiding Eyes, and they have had nothing but good things to say. I’ve had dogs my whole life and love them, and I was hearing their stories, so I thought it would be nice to have a guide. I went to New York, and it was probably the best decision I ever made. I got to learn from great instructors, and our class got along so well that we still have a group chat and text each other on a regular basis.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “My campus has a lot of open spaces, and before, with my cane, I couldn’t travel without worrying I was going off track. Melon makes it possible to go through those spaces without worrying about veering off course. I feel safer having her when there are strange people around, and she’s aware of our surroundings. People skateboard a lot around here, and she helps me avoid bumping into them when they zoom ahead of us without warning. It’s so helpful because there had been close calls when I had my cane, but she sees them and stops, so it’s nice to have that safety net.”
Were there any training highlights? “The biggest thing was how quickly she figured out the routes. As part of the training, we went to Vassar College, and the campus setup is pretty similar to my college. I was with my instructor, Dan, and we were crossing a route that’s similar to mine. She picked it up on the second try. I could hear that Dan was impressed when she stopped at the right places. I was impressed by that too, and by how happy she is to work when the harness is on.”
DOB: 10/17/2023
Litter ID: 2M323
Color/Breed: Yellow/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Angelica
Stud: Soldier
Littermates: Magnum, Meadow, Mia
Region: Remote
Regional Puppy Instructor: Leslie Stephens
Puppy Raiser: Casey Dies & Emory Walsh
Melon has always been up for anything, and thank goodness for that. She began her journey at Cornell University, living with six college girls who adored her from day one. After graduation, she spent six months living in NYC, embracing every adventure that came her way. From sports events and snowy hikes to lake swims, museum visits, and graduating (twice!), Melon has taken it all in stride — always wagging her tail and hunting for the perfect stick. Her wide-ranging experiences have helped to shape her into an adaptable, eager, and ever-impressive pup. Through it all, she has kept her happy-go-lucky spirit and life-of-the-party charm. She has continued to exceed expectations since returning to Guiding Eyes, always ready for the next challenge: our one-of-a-kind unicorn pup. We are so proud of everything this girl has accomplished already and are so excited for her lifelong adventures with her new partner! ~ Casey Dies & Emory Walsh
