Little Tony arrived on November 8th, 2008 but I just received the information yesterday. Tony is a male black lab who has now been assigned to his puppy raiser who will start socializing him in preparation for his guide dog training! This is the first picture of many- showing Tony hard at work in the office of his Puppy Raiser waiting for the next part of the day. You’ll be seeing lots and lots on this great dog!
Mermaid Cottages sponsors a guide dog puppy every year as our very small way of giving back and to honor our guests, home owners and mermaid team. We’ve been waiting for our puppy information all last year ( there was a back log of puppies waiting to be sponsored) so we haven’t had a puppy to update everyone on regularly. But that is now changed!!!! The Southeast Guide Dog school
www.guidedogs.org is outstanding and we can look forward to lots of pictures as Tony grows. The first 18 months are spent with their Puppy Raiser who’s main responsibility is to socialize and make sure Tony is a very well behaved dog. He’ll go everywhere with his person, learning and after his 18 Months with her, he’ll go back to the school for his formal guide dog training. As long as everything goes smoothly, he’ll be a guide dog. If for some reason he doesn’t make it, most likely his career will be doing some other type of service work. Danny- my golden lab- was a career change dog as many of you all know.
Tony the dog is named after Tony Petrea, Junior to honor his life. Tony was a wonderful young man who died way too young. He was loved by so many of us here on Tybee , he loved animals and was a great help to me with several of my projects over the years. His birthday was yesterday – which I did not know until I took the picture of Tony to show his parents. They- like all of us will be following along with Tony’s progress!
My friend, CJ from Marriott , is how I became involved with both raising guide dogs and sponsoring Guide Dogs. I’d like to share an email and YouTube video he put together last year when his most recent dog went off with his blind person. I tell CJ all the time he changed my life, without his guidance and assurance I never would have taken on my first puppy, never would have had Danny and Max in my life and now would never be sponsoring a guide dog yearly which truly does change a person’s life! Here in CJ’s own words….
“Over the past several years all of our friends have accommodated in to various degrees the inclusion of a dog whenever/wherever Bev and I go. Bev and I want each of you to know how much we appreciate your support and wanted to share with you this little video of Elvis that was made by his new owner, Wendy Slominsky of Millersville, PA. We met with her this past weekend for Elvis’ graduation ceremony in New York, and we were immediately taken with this wonderful woman and her husband. She and Elvis formed an instant bond, and they will undoubtedly have a fantastic life together.
When we returned from our trip, we received an email on Monday morning describing how after only a couple of days together, Elvis had successfully avoided a large 5 foot hole in the ground that wasn’t roped off, and was directly in Wendy’s path. A woman who witnessed Elvis safely guiding her around the obstacle stopped Wendy to explain what had just happened.
Bottom line is that without of lot of your direct and in-direct help, Bev and I wouldn’t be able to be as successful as we’ve been in raising these dogs. So we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for always welcoming our four legged friends as part of the Bev and CJ package.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG2gYT9Q9tc
These dogs are amazing animals. I worked in a prison that had a program called Puppies Behind Bars. It’s a program that is in 5 or 6 New York State prisons. After a very strict evaluation process, inmates who volunteer for the program are assigned a puppy. We got them when they were 8 weeks old and they stayed with the inmate for 18 months. They lived with the inmate in his cell and went with the inmate to his programs, whether it was his job, classes or counseling program. They were together 24/7.
It was very interesting watching the effect the puppies had on the inmate. In many cases, this was the first caring relationship the inmate had ever had. Most would cry when the dog went on to the next stage of his training. But every single one requested to stay in the program and get another puppy.
The training the puppies received was in behavior and socialization. On week-ends they left the prison to go with a family in the community. This was so the dogs could be taken into environments they don’t have exposure to in the prison…restaurants, stores, children, etc. The program originally was to train for guide dogs, but after 9/11 we started training them for explosive detection. The program was so successful that some of the dogs went to very exclusive assignments. The head of ATF has one and one was assigned to the Pope’s funeral.
Everyone was excited when new puppies came into the program. A little ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal place.
My heart skipped a beat when I read your comment. Then when I checked out your blog, I felt like I had ran into an old friend. Tybee is a place so near and dear to my heart and my hubby’s too! I’m so happy you found me! We actually live a little south of Atlanta and visit Tybee several times a year (not nearly enough). We’re coming down next week for Ms. Sylvia at Doc’s 100th B’day party. Cannot wait!
We always stay at a condo at Lighthouse Point, but Snow Birds are there right now, do you have any small cottages available next Thursday night through Saturday night? It’s just gonna be the two of us. I’m so excited to have your blog! Now I can get my Tybee fix anytime I need one, which is every day! Ha!
Wow, Diane! I love your blog. Thanks so much for stopping by mine! I have always been an enormous fan of Jane’s work. Will you tell me exactly what it is you do? I am very interested…
Thanks!!
Kara
Loved the post on your home!!!!!
hi Shirley! the guide dog school where Danny came from ( my golden Lab) is where the Puppies behind Bars program began! it’s truly incredible! Thx you for sharing your story with us! After I stopped raising the guide dog puppies, i worked with a prison progam in South Carolina and was one of the people that took the puppies for the weekend. I love being involoved in these programs!!!
Kelly- we’d love to have you stay with us next weekend! Miss Sylvia’s bday is going to be quite the event! We also have the Tybee half marathon next weekend- so you should be part of that as well! Email or call me and we’ll find a place for you to stay . thx you!
Kara, I shared your blog with Jane and she was so honored!!!!! i’ll be a regular visitor to your blog now that I’ve found you. Isn’t blogging fun?