Graduate Team: Thomas and Nellie
About the Team: Nellie, a female black Lab, is Tom’s 1st guide dog
Location: Cave City, Kentucky
Training: August 2026 On-Campus
Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and counseling and resides in Kentucky with his partner, April, a licensed therapist. Before increasing vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa, Thomas worked in customer service and as a call center representative. Tom is a childhood cancer survivor who has been in remission since 1992. Giving back to his community is an important part of his life. For the past decade, he has attended his local Freemasons lodge and participated in its annual fundraising efforts. These include awarding bicycles to elementary and middle school students with perfect attendance and providing weekend food backpacks for students facing financial hardship. Tom and his guide dog, Nellie, enjoy a daily two-mile walk together. In his free time, he listens to audiobooks, enjoys live theater productions such as Dracula and Little Shop of Horrors, and is exploring the art of making honey wine. He also enjoys staying connected with family, including his parents and sister, who live in Kentucky, and his niece and nephew.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Nellie likes to believe she is the adult in the room. She is very well behaved. She has a fun way of giving me the ‘side eye’ look if I am not doing something in the way she learned it. She loves her toys and playing with me, though she sometimes takes a while to bring toys back to me. She acts like a gentle giant though she is only 53 pounds.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I spent three months at the Charles McDowell Center where instruction included independent living and vocational rehab as well as more white cane training while under blindfold. I worked with Guiding Eyes graduate and braille instructor, Abby and her guide, Oakly, and she suggested Guiding Eyes for the Blind. I went to a seminar at Guiding Eyes, then increased my cane practice and ability. A couple of months later, I received a phone call that I was accepted. I met Alyssa and Dan and was eventually matched with Nellie. “
How has a guide dog impacted your life? “I have more confidence going out when I have Nellie with me. When we are out walking and we pass people, they are more respectful, and more apt to talk to you when you have a dog in harness.”
Were there any training highlights? “We took a train to Beacon and Nellie did well. We practiced navigating, not only on the train, but also public transit and walking in the mall. Alyssa was a great instructor. We practiced shorelining, [walking streets without sidewalks], and Nellie is so smart that if she sees a car coming, even before I say something, she is already moving me close to the side of the road. Training at the Guiding Eyes campus was great and the food was wonderful. Thanks, Chef Rob. I wouldn’t change anything about the training. It was great.”
DOB: 8/9/24
Litter ID: 7NN24
Color/Breed: Black Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Bagel
Stud: Jett
Littermates: Nation, Nutmeg, Nectar, Nash
Region: Cleveland East Puppy Raising Region
Regional Puppy Instructor: Macy Nauman
Puppy Raiser: Lorraine Mulanax, Karen Gerken
Facebook: Ohio Puppy Raisers
When Nellie first joined me, I was immediately impressed by her focus and eagerness to please. She proved a quick learner and blossomed into an ideal companion, especially in our road trips to the mountains of Colorado and down to see her dog “cousins” in North Carolina. She was a great traveler and not shy of new adventures. Her greatest strength, though, was her affectionate and happy nature. She left many fans behind in Cleveland! My heartfelt best wishes to her new companion and workmate for many happy years going forward! ~Karen Gerken
