Graduate Team: Rose and Vintage
About the Team: Vintage is a male, black Lab; Rose’s first Guiding Eyes dog
Location: Jamestown, New York
Training: May 2025 Home Training
Rose hails from Randolph, NY, located near Lake Erie in western New York State, but has lived in nearby Jamestown for the past 35 years. Jamestown is notable for being the hometown of comedienne Lucille Ball, and a statue in town commemorates her life and humor. Rose enjoys watching classic Lucy TV shows and has a passion for reading, particularly books by Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and James Patterson, as well as Amish fiction. She shares her apartment with two gentle cockatiels, and her brother is still close by in Randolph, while her sister resides in Virginia. Rose has come to Guiding Eyes for her first guide dog, Vintage, whom she affectionately calls Vinny.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Vinny and I make a good pair. I call him Vinny because I have trouble saying his name, Vintage. He can be goofy and playful sometimes, and he loves giving kisses. He senses when I am having trouble and comes to comfort me. In harness, he is great and focuses on our safety. Initially, there were a few distractions, but we dealt with those.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I thought about a guide dog when I became legally blind 15 years ago. I belong to the Chautauqua Blind Association, and they told me about Guiding Eyes. My family was hesitant about my traveling to the campus alone, but I was assured that Guiding Eyes has Home Training, and they came out to evaluate how I walk. Vintage was chosen for me, and my Guide Dog Mobility Instructor, Miranda, brought him to Jamestown. She was great and stayed for 14 days to work with Vinny and me at my home and around the Jamestown area.”
How has a guide dog impacted your life? “I’m not afraid to walk downstairs now, and I’m not afraid to walk around town anymore. I like that he sleeps on my couch, and I hear him snore, and I like that we go out for walks several times a day. Sometimes my friend, Carol, goes walking with Vinny and me. I also laugh a lot more because of the goofy things that Vinny does.”
Were there any training highlights? “With our instructor Miranda, we practiced walking on sidewalks near where I live. When crossing the street, Vinny shows me where the buttons are to change the light, so we can cross safely. We did a traffic check exercise with a grocery cart in the store, so I could see that Vinny would stop me from moving forward if a car came toward me. Miranda and I took Vinny to a dog park so he could get exercise and run. When the remote GDMI, Rivi, followed up a few days later, we took him to the park again, and he just ran to the pool, jumped in, and had a good time. He likes water. At home, he puts his whole face in his water bowl and blows bubbles.”
DOB: 3/8/2023
Litter ID: 7V23
Color/Breed: Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Male
Brood: Guava
Stud: Arlo
Littermates: Verna, Vega, Viggo, Velvet, Vanilla, Verbena, Voyager, Varsity
Region: Central NY
Regional Puppy Instructor: MeKalea Chambliss
Puppy Raiser: Brae Starratt
Facebook: Central New York Puppy Raisers
From the first day I picked up Vintage he was nothing but the happiest, sweetest puppy and an absolute breeze to live with! He got along swimmingly with my cats, and every human and animal he met fell in love with him very quickly! We enjoyed exploring together, we found a lot of great trails we would frequent often. Outings were always fun because vintage has this energy about him that draws people to him. As the first puppy I raised for Guiding Eyes, he was the best ambassador and teacher! I hope to hear of all your adventures together, enjoy your new best friend! ~ Brae Starratt
