Resources
Adopt a Pet Dog
A Rare Opportunity
Since our founding in 1929, The Seeing Eye has bred its own dogs to raise and train to be Seeing Eye® dogs. We selectively breed for health, longevity, intelligence, obedience, temperament, and other factors, based on DNA data, staff observations, decades of genealogical records, and the expertise of our staff geneticist.
We strive to breed only as many dogs as we need for our program, which means very few dogs become available to the public for adoption.
Dogs that are unable to complete guide dog training for whatever reason are first offered back to the volunteer who raised it as a puppy, and most puppy raisers do welcome the dog back home. If the dog has potential to work in law enforcement or some other kind of service, those organizations are given the priority in selecting dogs. The few dogs not adopted by their puppy raisers and not selected for service work will become available to the public for adoption. In addition, sometimes Seeing Eye graduates are unable to keep retired dogs in their homes, and these older dogs also are occasionally available for adoption.
We have many more applicants to adopt dogs than we have dogs available for adoption. Most of those who apply to adopt a dog from The Seeing Eye will never receive a dog from us. The wait time for a dog can range from one to three years, and in some cases may be longer. Timing depends on when a dog that matches your lifestyle, home environment, and preferences becomes available for public adoption. Please see the following general estimates:
- German shepherds: typically a few months to two years, depending on availability and applicant fit.
- Labrador retrievers or Labrador/golden retriever crosses: approximately one to three years on average.
- Golden retrievers: often three years or longer, due to very limited availability.
Those willing to adopt a dog with a more serious but manageable health or temperament issue may experience a shorter waiting period. Once you apply for an adoptable dog, we ask that you contact us every six months to renew your application and let us know you’re still interested.
Highly qualified applicants who make a donation of $25,000 or more to The Seeing Eye may have an adoption expedited process. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, donations make it possible to fulfill our mission. Thank you!
Adopted dogs are not to be used as a guide or service dog.
Please read through the Frequently Asked Questions below. If after reading you are interested in applying to adopt, please call our Adoptions Team at 973-539-4425 ext. 1844 or email DogAdoptions@SeeingEye.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
When a Seeing Eye puppy or dog is unable to complete guide dog training, we call them “adoptables”. We also have adoptables that have career changes and are trained in a different line of work.
These dogs may be unable to complete guide dog training either because they have a behavioral problem that disqualifies them from guide work, or they have a medical issue that makes them unable to become a guide dog.
When a dog gets removed from the program, they are always offered to the puppy raiser first. If the puppy raiser does not adopt the dog, and the dog has potential to work in some other capacity, these organizations are given priority in selecting dogs. The few dogs not adopted by puppy raisers and not selected for a career change will become available to the public for adoption.
We limit our adoptions to families that live in the Eastern United States. To adopt one of our dogs, we require you to come and meet the dog we are offering. We do not fly our dogs to be adopted.
The majority of dogs available for adoption are between one and a half and four years old. The youngest know basic obedience and are housebroken. Some of the dogs may have had some guide dog training, but our adoptable dogs are not to be used as a guide dog. Dogs that have retired from careers as guides also are available and usually are seven years or older, but can no longer be used as guide dogs. All adoptable dogs have been neutered or spayed, and have up-to-date vaccinations prior to being offered for adoption. Most dogs will still require additional obedience training once adopted.
Predominantly, we have German shepherds available for adoption. Occasionally we also have Labrador retrievers, Labrador/golden retriever crosses, or golden retrievers available.
The standard fee for dog adoption is $1,500. The fee is reduced for senior dogs and dogs with more serious but manageable health or temperament issues.
In recognition of donors who support our mission with a gift of $25,000 or more, The Seeing Eye maintains a VIP list of qualified adopters with significantly reduced wait times. For more information regarding our VIP adoption program, please email donate@SeeingEye.org or call 973-539-4425 and ask for Donor & Public Relations.
To apply to adopt a dog from The Seeing Eye, you must contact our Adoptions Team Staff. They can be reached at either 973-539-4425 ext. 1844, or you can set up a time to call at DogAdoptions@SeeingEye.org. They will send you either a link to fill out the application online, or a copy of the application to adopt via either mail or e-mail. Once you fill out the application there is a $25.00 application fee that can be submitted electronically or via mail. Once received, your application will be processed and your name will be placed on the adoption list.
Please note: To stay active as an applicant, contact our Adoption Team Staff every SIX months. We ask that you check back with us every six months to affirm your continued interest in adopting. Because this is an important step in keeping your application from becoming inactive, please make this important step a priority, or your application will become inactive. If you call within six months of your application becoming inactive, we can make your application active again, but other active applications will have likely gotten ahead of yours, so you will be farther down the list. So please do remember to check in for your six month renewal.
Approved applicants will now have access to an exclusive website where information and photos of each adoptable dog will be posted. New adoptable dogs will be posted to the website as they become available.
Applicants should complete an interest form for any dog they would like to be considered to adopt. Interest forms are collected over a minimum of 7 days to provide all interested applicants an opportunity to be considered.
After the application period ends, our Adoptions Associate will review all interested applicants and identify the best match for each dog. Priority will go to those who have been on our waitlist the longest.
The selected applicant will be invited to our campus in Morristown, NJ to meet with their preferred dog. If all goes well, this applicant will complete the adoption process and take home their new companion at that time. It is our goal to send our dogs to the best home possible, so if the dog doesn’t feel like the right fit, you are more than welcome to pass and wait for the next offer. You will not lose your place on our waitlist! The standard dog adoption fee is $1,500. Reduced fees may apply for senior dogs and dogs with more serious but manageable health or temperament needs.
