And the number continues to increase, as other colleges develop opportunities on their campuses. Over 60 puppies, learning essential skills, wearing their “Future Guide Dog” vests, and working towards that future, are being raised by college students who participate in Guiding Eyes puppy raising clubs. In addition, several individual students on other campuses are raising Guiding Eyes puppies independently, outside of clubs. On any given day, these pups may accompany their raisers or sitters to classes, socialize with friends in dormitories and common spaces, or attend a student organization meeting. While their raisers pursue their degrees, the puppies are on their own journeys to become trusted partners for individuals with vision loss.
The University of Delaware (UDel) hosts the Guiding Eyes Puppy Raising Club, providing students with a unique and rewarding volunteer experience. We are proud to share that the club has experienced significant growth over the past three years, due to the students who have worked so hard to share their enthusiasm for puppy raising, and the leadership of Guiding Eyes Regional Puppy Instructor, Cindy Tait. Relaunched in Fall 2022 with seven volunteers, within a year, the club grew to include 19 additional volunteers and 5 puppies. Both membership and the number of puppies continue to rise. As of 2025, the club boasts 16 raisers, 15 pups, and 53 additional volunteers!
Members of the Guiding Eyes Client Experience team recently traveled to the University of Delaware (UDel) campus in support of the Puppy Raising Program and to share information with UDel’s Access:Ability Scholars program. It was a meaningful and successful event, demonstrating the amazing full circle of the Guiding Eyes mission. Nikki Wentz (Admissions Manager), Meka White (Client Navigator), Melissa Carney (Community Outreach & Graduate Support, with guide dog Aron), and Laura Peterman (Chief of Staff) joined Cindy and members of the Guiding Eyes puppy raising club and their pups-on-program. Through presentations by Guiding Eyes staff, students gained a clearer understanding of how a friendly puppy raised by a classmate eventually becomes a guide dog, providing independence, companionship, and mobility to individuals who are blind or have low vision.
We thank the University of Delaware, not only for allowing their students to participate in puppy raising on campus, but for promoting volunteerism and making a profound difference for those with vision loss.
The feedback from students in the Scholars Program was outstanding. Here are some of their comments:
I am so astonished by the sense of interdependence between the dog and its handler. The level of adaptation and the connection between the two was amazing to see.
[I learned] how guide dogs can create more independence and confidence for people with visual impairments. I didn’t realize how much trust goes into these partnerships, and it really changed how I view accessibility.
… the most meaningful part of the event was hearing from the guest speakers themselves who are vision impaired. I feel like a lot of the time we always speak about people with disabilities, and don’t get the chance to hear from them personally. It was nice to get to hear their point of view and the beauty that the guide dogs bring to them.
Watching the bond between the dogs and their handlers showed me how support can come not just from tools, but from relationships built on trust.
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