HARNESSING THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP by Sarah McDermed

(Courtesy Guide Dogs for the Blind)

One of the most amazing service organizations I’ve ever encountered is Guide Dogs for the Blind. While doing research for my upcoming romantic suspense novel, BLINDSIGHT, it was my pleasure to visit their Oregon school campus and learn how these amazing animals are raised and trained, and how these magical human-canine partnerships are crafted—partnerships that have the power to change lives in amazing ways.

Did you know that two of Guide Dogs for the Blind’s co-founders were pioneering women who refused to accept the limitations society put on them?

(Courtesy Guide Dogs for the Blind)

Blind since infancy, Hazel Hurst had been partnered with a ‘Seeing Eye’ dog trained at the organization school in Morristown, N.J. She was a tireless advocate for the blind and fundraiser who in 1941 partnered with a former Seeing Eye Trainer, Don Donaldson, and fundraiser/administrator Lois Merrihew to found the Hurst Foundation in Monrovia, California.

Lois Merrihew had always dreamed of training guide dogs for the blind, but when she applied to an East Coast school to become a trainer, she was told women were not physically or emotionally suited for this type of work. Before long, Don Donaldson mentored Lois to become a guide dog trainer. (Kudos to Mr. Donaldson!)

LOIS MERRIHEW

Through tireless lecturing and demonstrations of guide dog activity Hazel Hurst, the Donaldsons and Lois Merrihew promoted the idea of a 'Guide Dog School for the Blind' in Northern California. When the United States entered the war, many people anticipated a growing need for guide dogs for blinded veterans returning home. Lois and Don shared their expertise with officials of the American Women's Voluntary Services (AWVS). With the support of key people, Guide Dogs for the Blind was established.

Although their first students were civilians, by 1943 GDP paired their first blinded veteran with a dog named Blondie. Many more veterans would be introduced to the joy and freedom of a Human-Guide partnership. Lois went on to become the school’s Director of Training.

"Of any of my accomplishments, I am most proud of Senate Bill #2391, passed in 1947, setting standards and licensing for both trainers and schools," she said. "Before then, anyone could 'train' and sell dogs to blind persons, without any guarantee of proper training." Lois was the first woman to become a licensed dog guide trainer.

30-second Video
Courtesy of Guide Dogs for the Blind)

Guide Dogs for the Blind is a tax-exempt charitable organization that receives no government funding. Private donations and thousands of volunteers make this school possible. Volunteers donate time as Breeding Stock Custodians, Guide Dog Puppy Raisers, Campus Volunteers and members of the Speakers Bureau. Their two school campuses are located in San Rafael, California, and in Boring, Oregon.

Please consider donating some of your hard-earned money, or better yet, time! Visit their website (source of the information and photographs in this blog post)at http://welcome.guidedogs.com/ for more information.

Thank you for reading my post. ~ Sarah Raplee

A Personal Shout-Out for Guide Dogs for the Blind by Sarah Raplee

http://welcome.guidedogs.com/ All Photo Credits

I can tell you exactly why the Heroine in my work-in-progress, BLINDSIGHT, is blind—and why her Guide Dog, Fred, shares Hero status with the story’s human Hero.

I lost sight in my right eye fourteen years ago without warning. When I went to bed, I was fully-sighted. I woke up to find a big, gray-brown splotch like thick fog in the middle of my vision in my right eye. Over the course of the day, the area grew to cover all but the extreme lower right edge of my vision.

The condition is known as NAION (Non-arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.) There is no effective treatment. There is a 30% lifetime chance it will occur in the other eye.

I can close my good eye and still see light and dark, and bits of things through thin spots in the fog, but I can’t read the big ‘E’ on the screen in the eye doctor’s office, or anything else for that matter.

Even with both eyes open, I run into things/trip over things on my right side. I have lousy depth perception. After a year or so, my brain adjusted and mostly tunes out the ‘bad’ input from my damaged eye.

I attended a Low Vision Support Group during that adjustment period. I learned so much from others going through similar experiences, especially from a spunky, legally-blind wedding singer. She is the inspiration for Melisenda, my blind heroine.

Since I lost sight in one eye, the other eye has been hit with Murphy’s Law. Repeatedly. My doctor says it is “just bad luck.” I’ve had optic neuritis in that eye, two macular wrinkles, a cataract is beginning to form, and I have a large piece of scar tissue from the first macular wrinkle that dances around in the shape of an anteater. (I named him Harvey after the invisible rabbit in the famous play, since only I can see him. Luckily, his nose is attached so that most of the time he stays below the center of my vision.)

I’m a planner. Naturally I’ve rehearsed what I will do if I become legally blind. I’ll go to the state school’s course for adults adjusting to blindness. As soon as I qualify (can get around well enough with a cane, etc.) I’ll apply for a Guide Dog. These wonderfully-trained, big-hearted beasts enrich and expand blind peoples’ lives in so many ways!

Getting around with a Guide is much faster and safer for blind people. Guide Dogs are trained in "intelligent disobedience." If a Guide is given an unsafe command, the dog will not obey it. For example, when a light turns green, the dog will not step out into the street if there is oncoming traffic. Guide Dogs are trained to have impeccable manners and are capable of avoiding distractions, so they do not create problems for their human partners. Their eagerness to please and a willingness to work make them wonderful companions. The relationship between a Guide Dog and their human is extremely close. They are not pets; they are half of a team. Human + Guide = Partners.

Your gift of money or your time to Guide Dogs for the Blind makes a powerful difference in the lives of people with vision loss.

You can make a financial donation online at
https://secure2.convio.net/gd/site/Donation2;jsessionid=B0F19E59625A66B5AB0DF08F8B4AAB2F.app274a?idb=997521498&DONATION_LEVEL_ID_SELECTED=1281&df_id=1060&1060.donation=form1&idb=0

Your can designate a workplace gift to GDB as the beneficiary of a payroll deduction contribution at many places of employment. This option is offered to federal, state and municipal employees and through company-sponsored campaigns in the private sector as well.

Learn about volunteer opportunities at

http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=help_volunteer

Volunteers welcome dogs into their homes; they act as program ambassadors; they provide administrative support to many departments, and they support the mission in myriad ways. If you want to give your time, there's no shortage of ways to help: 

·         Breeding stock custodians

·         Puppy raisers

·         Campus volunteers

·         Speakers

 Thank you for reading my personal story and for considering supporting Guide Dogs for the Blind. 
~ Sarah