Dog graduates to guide dog status

Local resident Dana Pardee contributed time and love in raising a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind and was proud to see the dog graduate as a guide in a formal ceremony at the guide dog campus in San Rafael, Calif., on March 10.

Pardee and co-raiser Becky Friend were proud to present Bradshaw, a yellow Lab, to graduating student, Richard Marion of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada.

Pardee is a member of the local guide dog puppy raising club, Carson City Guide Dogs, led by Warren and Claudia Wish. The club has more than 20 members who volunteer in a variety of jobs.

Guide Dogs for the Blind uses yellow and black Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds and Lab/golden crosses as guides. The puppies are born at the Guide Dog kennels and placed in the homes of volunteer puppy raisers when they are about two months old. The puppy raisers socialize the pups by house-breaking them, teaching them to be good canine citizens and introducing them to new experiences.

The pups are returned to Guide Dogs for formal guidework training when they are 14 to 18 months old. Following the completion of training, the dogs are matched with blind students enrolled at the school. The new person-dog team completes an intensive in-residence course culminating with a graduation ceremony at which the raiser formally presents the dog to the dog's new partner who is blind.

Guide Dogs for the Blind has been creating life-long partnerships in the community by providing skilled dogs and training in their use free of charge since 1942. They receive no government funding but depend entirely on private donations.

If you know someone who could benefit from a guide dog, let them know about this program. To get involved, visit Web site www.guidedogs.com or contact Guide Dogs for the Blind at (800) 295-4050.