In 1994, The Seeing Eye’s Juniata County 4-H Puppy Club was created by Jo-Anne Brooks and Jean Swartz. The club has fostered a community of many long-term raisers who always look forward to supporting new raisers.
For many Juniata Club members, puppy raising has become a family affair. This is especially true for the Theurer family, which consists of three generations of puppy raisers.
“We began raising puppies for The Seeing Eye when I was just 12 years old. We were very involved in 4-H, and I discovered that raising a Seeing Eye puppy could be a 4-H project. I’m sure my persistence helped, but I don’t think it was ever very hard to convince my mom to say yes — not the first time and not any of the times after that,” recalled Laura.
Laura wasn’t the only family member who became interested in raising. Soon after she began raising Emily, a golden retriever, her brother, Scott, decided he wanted to join in on the fun. Scott’s first puppy was a German shepherd named Mitzi.
Marianne, Laura and Scott’s mother, couldn’t help but fall in love with raising too after helping her children with the process. Laura credits her mother with being “the glue that made it all possible and kept us going.”
“Puppy raising for our family has been a wonderful adventure – so much so, I even got some puppies of my own to raise! Our house hasn’t been long without a puppy of some sort,” said Marianne.
Even now, with families of their own, Laura and Scott have not given up their passion for raising Seeing Eye puppies. Scott’s son, Bryce, is now a raiser, and Laura’s daughters are always happy to help their cousin!
“If you ask my six-year-old, she’ll tell you she is the raiser. What started as a 4-H project and a love for dogs has become something so much bigger. It’s a lesson in hard work, commitment, patience, grace, resilience, compassion, and community service — lessons we now see our children learning, along with a deep love for these incredible dogs.”
Puppy raising has become an adventure of a lifetime for the Theurer’s, with over 30 puppies raised over three generations of raisers. It has brought them together in a way they never thought possible.
“There have been breaks at different times in our lives, but we always find our way back because of the dogs and the purpose behind it. We are so grateful to be part of something that changes lives — including our own.”
