Seeing Eye puppy raisers have come to join the volunteer program through word of mouth, social media, or through knowing a guide dog handler. For the Turner family, the program seemed to always be a part of their lives.
Sandy Turner’s brother had raised four puppies for The Seeing Eye when she was growing up, so when her son expressed an interest in wanting a dog at nine-years-old, she could think of no better way to continue the family legacy and raise a Seeing Eye puppy of their own.
It was “an activity which ended up being a part of our family life for the next 11 years – dogs at church, on long car trips, at many robotics tournaments!” recalled Sandy.
Raising didn’t stop in the Turner household when her eldest son left for college, for her other children decided it was their turn to raise. They passed the baton back to their parents when the Turner’s became empty nesters.
“I couldn’t give up puppy raising and have continued for 6 more dogs (15 total for our family), making our ‘empty nest’ feel not quite so empty!”
Sandy aims to join The Seeing Eye’s “21 Club,” which includes puppy raisers who have raised 21 Seeing Eye puppies. Recipients receive a plaque on Family Day, the day raisers are invited to celebrate their hard work at The Seeing Eye’s campus.
“The reward is so much more [than the plaque]: hours and days and years full of love and fun and wags, and the sense that the time we spend (and even the chewed slippers and middle-of-the-night Park Time trips) are making a meaningful difference in someone else’s life.”
Being a Seeing Eye puppy raiser became extra special to the Turners two years ago when their neighbor’s son lost his remaining sight and asked them about getting a Seeing Eye dog. Sandy was thrilled when she later learned he had been matched with his own Seeing Eye dog.
“Eleven of our dogs have been matched with a blind partner. We adopted two, one is in formal training at The Seeing Eye, and the other is training with us. Thank you, Seeing Eye, for all you do, and for allowing us volunteer puppy raisers to participate!”
Click here to learn more about our volunteer puppy raising program!
