Leader Dog Program

Experiencing the Leader Dog Program First Hand

BY PATTY HOLLIS (C1)

The First Vice District Governors recently got to visit Leader Dog in Detroit, Michigan. When we first started out, we thought we were going to just learn a bit about the place, the dogs, and where all the donated money goes. What happened when we got there, will forever change our thoughts about guide dogs, people who are not only legally blind, but deaf, and the Leader Dog program. It was an amazing experience that we will be forever grateful that we got the chance to go on.

When we got to the Leader Dog Campus, we were greeted with warm welcomes. As Lions, we could tell that the staff were appreciative of all we do. They had a list of all the top Lion donors. Right at the top was the Tichigan Lake Lions Club from District 27 A-1 as one of the largest donors. Then they told us that we were going to have homemade chili and doughnuts for lunch, which has been a tradition for many years when visitors come. (Watch for the recipes in the next Wisconsin Lion.) After the presentation, we got a tour and a history of Leader Dog. It was an awesome feeling watching these little puppies play, knowing that someday hopefully they were going to grow into guide dogs. If you want a chance in raising a puppy until they are 12 to 14 months old, they are always looking for volunteers. The tour included a look at the vet area where the dogs are well cared for including any surgeries that may need to be performed.

Part of the tour had us walking with a white cane and a leader dog while blindfolded. This alone would have been enough to give us all a new prospective on what it was like to be legally blind. Little did we know they had something else in mind. Later that evening we had a dinner with a twist. We were all blind folded during the whole meal. Most of us made it through the meal with no mishaps. It showed us that how a legally blind person has to learn to maneuver around something as simple as eating.

This program did not become what it is today, overnight. It took a lot of vision, planning, hard work, and the generosity of many organizations such as the Lions, who, to this day, are the single highest donor.

Where did it all begin?

It all began when three men, Charles Nutting, Donald Schuur, and S.A. Dodge, tried to get a guide dog from Seeing Eye organization for their blind friend and were denied. They decided to start their own school. In 1938, they held their first class of blind students and guide dogs.

It was a struggle, even after they incorporated in 1939. As Donald Schuur said “Whenever we had money on hand, we had no dogs. Whenever we had dogs, we had no money. When we had students, we had no dogs and so forth…This was really a trying period.”

In 1948, they became international by welcoming their first student from Mexico. By the 1960’s, there were dogs being placed in Israel, Denmark, and Spain.

In 1951, the policy changed to say a person has to be totally blind to legally blind. This allowed more people who needed a Leader Dog to be accepted into the program. In 1958, the program stopped charging for the dogs and the training. In 1952 the program officially became Leader Dogs for the Blind. In 1992, Leader Dog started training their dogs American Sign Language. This helped place dogs with people who were deaf and blind. Currently, the school is the only one on the western hemisphere that is doing this.

The 2000’s saw big advances at Leader Dog. In 2002, Leader Dog’s Orientation & Mobility Training was started with three clients. This program has two components: orientation - knowing where you are in your environment and knowing how to get to where you want to go and mobility. This training included how to use the white cane. They also use a talking GPS unit to help them understand where they are at and where they are going. It names the streets and the businesses a person is passing. They now also host a teen camp every summer to teach teens how to use the GPS and the white cane.

The Future

As time goes on, the donations we give as Lions will be help provide the remodel that the residence hall so badly needs. Leader Dog helps those that are legally blind and deaf be able to leave their homes safely and be a part of society.

The teen camp gives teens the confidence to go out and try things they may never have had the chance to. While other programs cost money, this program does not, meaning that people without a lot of financial means can still have the life they deserve. This program is not just about matching dogs to legally blind or deaf people, it’s about the confidence, the freedom, and the safety that is now given to people. It gives their hope back that they can live the life they want to.

Leader Dog is the answer for thousands of people in critical need of services. To find out more information, visit leaderdog.org. When your club is deciding how to spend those hard-earned dollars, please consider giving to the Leader Dog Program.