Volunteer puppy raisers prepare our pups for guide dog training. Raisers bring puppies into their homes to teach them how to live with people and to enjoy learning the skills they need to take on a job that will change someone’s life. Many of our volunteers find the experience life-changing, too.
Learn first hand as puppy raisers share their experiences. Watch the video, It’s a Labor of (Puppy) Love.
Someone who is deeply caring, giving, and responsible. Our community of volunteers includes individuals, couples, families with children, young adults, and senior citizens. They live in cities, suburbs, the countryside, apartments, houses- you name it.
We are extremely proud that so many raisers enjoy raising for Guiding Eyes enough to renew their commitment to raise another puppy. In fact, more than 65% are repeat raisers, and some people have raised more than 30 puppies!
Simply put, raisers care for and teach puppies to enjoy being with people and cultivate the confidence a future guide dog needs. They provide hours of patient teaching and numerous socialization experiences before returning a well-socialized young adult dog to Guiding Eyes training staff for harness training. Pups may stay in more than one home during their 12 to 18-month puppy-raising journey.
All the raiser’s hard work culminates when a person who is blind or visually impaired receives their priceless gift − a guide dog providing independence, companionship, and mobility.
Guiding Eyes has puppy raisers along the Eastern Seaboard, stretching from Maine to North Carolina, and west to Ohio. Puppy raisers are organized into groups that we call Puppy Raising Regions, and most raisers live within an hour of region class locations.
Before applying to become a puppy raiser, please be sure there is a region near you, and take some time to explore this section of the website, including a review of our Puppy Raising FAQs, the Puppy Raiser Checklist and Pup Program Policies. Feel free to contact us to discuss any questions you may have.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (C) (3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind Federal Identification Number (EIN) is 13-1854606.
© 2023 GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND PRIVACY POLICY | ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
