Being a puppy raiser is a large commitment! I was responsible for teaching my puppy, Esther, how to behave in public places. This meant taking her with me almost everywhere, including the 4-H public speaking contests. I was responsible for her care 24/7. She slept in a crate right next to my bed. I had to feed her, take her to the vet and exercise her daily. While raising Esther, I learned many priceless lessons. Esther taught me to be patient when things do not go my way. Having a puppy with me also helped me learn valuable people skills, because when you walk into Wal-Mart with a little black lab, everyone wants to talk to you.

Esther returned to South Eastern Guide Dogs on Oct. 20, 2007 to complete her training and later be matched with a seeing impaired person whom she will guide. This completes my 16-month commitment to Esther. Guide dogs are provided to the visually impaired person at little or no cost. The cost of breeding, raising and training a guide dog has been calculated at $30,000. The gift of independence is priceless.

However, raising a puppy from 8 weeks to 16 months is not the only thing you can do to assist the school. The things you as an individual or as a group can do are endless. Some ideas include adopting a breeder dog, walking dogs at a school, collecting needed items and giving attention to little puppies.

More information about South Eastern Guide Dogs, Inc. may be found at guidedogs.org.