Graduation

Luxor graduated today. He was one of my favorite dogs in the club and I wanted to see him graduate. As usual, the match seems wonderful.

I'm always happy to see club members' dogs graduate, but there often is something else that unexpectedly touches me and makes me happy to be part of the guide dog community, even though my role is pretty minimal these days. This time it was a woman who was receiving her second dog. Her first guide had died 7 months ago - a guide this woman had had for 11 years and that had worked up until 3 days before her death. She felt lost without her "walking eyes" but it was several months before she could face getting a replacement. She talked about receiving her new guide, that she now felt complete again, and made public promises to her dog about how she would work with her and take care of her. I admit I got a little teary eyed. It was one of the most touching receiving comments I had ever heard.

Another thing that happened was that I took Saul to the graduation. When we entered the building where graduation was held, a young woman asked me who my dog was. When I told her she looked so happy - she had helped raise Saul. She sat behind us so I asked her if she'd like to hold onto Saul during the graduation. They got some time together and I'm glad I ended up taking Saul.

We didn't make it to the kitchen, but I'm going back later this week and will get some pictures of the board then. Meanwhile, here's Saul posing in front of the wall with the Guide Dogs for the Blind sign.



One of the reasons Saul is special for me is that his brother Santino is going to be a wheelchair guide for a woman I met in Tallahassee last spring when I went back to visit. We met in a yarn store in Tallahassee (Nadine teaches knitting). I saw Nadine when I went in and saw that she had a guide dog. I introduced myself and told her I was a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind. She brightened up and said that she was expecting a wheelchair guide dog from the Boring campus and would be coming to Boring when a dog had been found and trained for her. She told me that her trainer had not located a dog for her yet and that it could be as long as 2 years. Santino was raised in Karren's club and when I heard that Santino had been chosen for a wheelchair guide, I had to wonder if he would be Nadine's. Sure enough, he is. Nadine and I have been in touch and I'm hoping we'll be able to see one another and get some time to cruise yarn stores or knit, although based on how busy it was when Chelle was here, I doubt that can be arranged.

Nadine has written a book about guide dogs called Guide Dog Connections. I hope to get a copy and have her autograph it while she's here. If not, I'll get her to do it when I see her in Tallahassee next year.