Guide Dog News
2011, Issue #3
Happiness is a GDB Puppy Raiser
With a warm puppy, of course...just ask 'em!
Puppy raisers and pups pictured:
 Shaunaly Hutton and black Lab Boone
 Yellow Lab Loire
 Olivia Mesches and black Lab Gaston
 Jeannette Frey and Golden Amaya
 Chance Brassart with yellow Lab Conan
From the President’s Desk
Dear Friends:
This has been a very special summer at Guide Dogs for the Blind.
We cleared another major milestone on our new California campus student residence project when the local
Planning Commission gave us the green light to move ahead. The final construction drawings are in the
works and we anticipate the deconstruction of the old dorm beginning in the early part of 2012. We will
continue to train blind men and women with their new Guide Dog partners as we raise the new building,
utilizing a local hotel as our student residence. It's an exciting time for Guide Dogs for the Blind, culminating
in the Spring of 2013, when we will open our new facility. This will be a special place—our residence halls are
where all of our Guide Dog team partnerships begin. You can find more information about our new dorm, and
how you can help turn drawings into reality, on page 3.
Summer is also the time when we honor all of our puppy raisers with our largest annual festivities in both
California and Oregon. Fun Days, as we know these celebrations, are times when we invite those raisers who
take on fuzzy balls of fur—fuzzy balls of fur that can chew up table legs and alter the color of carpet—and
who give their puppies back to us just as they become much more settled and are ready to go through our
formal training program. Puppy raisers work so incredibly hard, knowing that their greatest reward may come
in handing the leash of their beloved pup to someone they have barely met. What they do every day makes it
possible for so many of us to fly through a sighted world with these very special partners. The two Fun Days
we sponsored this year were once again filled with joy, much camaraderie, and a lot of cute puppies. You'll
learn more about our Fun Day events and our puppy raisers in this issue.
Yes, all is good in Guide Dog Country.
And, our summer was a bit more fun when circumstances caused mild consternation for GDB’s human
resources director. I've penned a light-hearted story about a little surprise that left her thinking she'd seen me
driving. You can read it in full on our blog, No Bones About It! Be sure to subscribe
at guidedogs.blogspot.com.
A new dorm, happy puppy raisers, and a flabbergasted HR director: Priceless.
Warm wishes,
Morgan Watkins
Acting President and CEO
Photo:
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Morgan Watkins and his Golden guide Will with (l to r) Jerome Carter, black Lab pup Jeffrey, Allie
Foster, Makayla Carter, Kaitlyn Lee and yellow Lab Krissa.
Announcing Our Plans to Build a New California Student Residence
In building our new student residence, our goals are to create a collaborative environment conducive to
learning and also to better accommodate the thousands of visitors who come to our campus for tours,
educational presentations, events and graduations. The residence is designed on a single-occupancy room
model, offering a safe and secure environment for students to socialize, learn and recreate.
The building is planned in a 'U'-shaped configuration. Seventeen guest suites and one staff suite surround a
common central courtyard. Key student-support spaces such as staff and nursing offices, student lounge and
laundry rooms are readily accessed along the halls of the building wings. Covered patios and entry wet-rooms
provide sheltered access to/from transportation during inclement weather.
Public Spaces
A warm and inviting fireside lounge offers the perfect setting for classes or small social gatherings by students
or visitors. The ADA-accessible outdoor graduation stage opens into an indoor assembly hall that hosts
events, presentations and graduation ceremonies (during inclement weather).
Student Guest Suites
Much like a hotel, each guest suite offers a double bed, private bath with walk-in shower, closet, sitting area,
desk with computer connections, bureau and television set.
Outside each room, covered dog-relieving areas shelter students and dogs from the rain. A semi-private patio
faces a courtyard and fenced runs where students can groom, bond and allow their dogs off-leash play.
Help us build our new student residence! For more information and to discuss naming opportunities,
please call our Development Department at (800) 295-4050.
Sidebar
We love you, Betty! Thanks to the overwhelming response to Betty White’s matching gift appeal, we not only
met, but exceeded our goal—we raised $243,310 in support for our mission!
Betty has also generously agreed to be a member of our New Student Residence Capital Campaign Cabinet.
She is joined on the cabinet by other notable GDB supporters Joan Rivers and Lorrie and Chesley
“Sully” Sullenberger. Thanks to them all for helping us raise the roof! Our Star Performers!
Hundreds of happy puppies shared a wag or two with their friends at our annual Fun Day celebrations on both
campuses. Nowhere else in the world will you find so many well-behaved canines in one place. It must be the
love, care and admiration they receive from our puppy raising volunteers! As Board Chair Etta Allen says,
“How often can we point to something wondrous and say that we were a part of making it happen?” Thank
you, puppy raisers, for making something wonderous happen each and every day.
For more photos and videos from Fun Day, visit bit.ly/2011funday and youtube.com/guidedogsaregreat.
Photos:
 Naomi and Lura Ercolano meet black Lab puppy, Lasso, presented by volunteer Arlene Austinson.
 Dylan, Jill and Drew Dayton with Lab/Golden cross Clinton.
 Volunteer Shelli Stern
 Board Chair Etta Allen with black Lab Kay.
 Jacyln and Kathleen Bigley with yellow Lab puppy Tiki.
 Lab/Golden cross Coltrane
 Shirley, Amy and Kevin Howard with yellow Lab puppy Lexington.
 Crowds watch guest performer, Tillman, world’s fastest skateboarding dog!
 Elijah Bullard with black Lab puppy Laughlin.
 Yellow Lab Devon
 An assembly of yellow Lab littermates.
 Kari and Kasaun Bull with yellow Lab puppy Timmy.
 Raisers checking out a Fun Day display.
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Sue and Dave Anderson at a Fun Day activity.
Volunteer and Legacy member Wayne Gabel cuddles with a black Lab pup.
Mallary Paoli with black Lab puppy Ramona.
Raisers gathering near the Puppy Truck.
Celebrate National Guide Dog Month with Natural Balance
Eva LaRue and Omar Miller, stars of TV's “CSI:Miami,” are teaming up with Dick Van Patten's Natural
Balance Pet foods, PETCO and Independent Pet Stores to celebrate National Guide Dog Month in
September and raise money and awareness for guide dog organizations across the country. Throughout
September, shoppers at PETCO can also “round up” their purchases at the register to donate the difference
to the cause, donate money at the register, or make donations directly online at www.petco.com. Let the
celebrations begin!
GDB Training Secrets
Guide Dogs for the Blind is revolutionizing the way guide dogs are trained! Visit
http://bit.ly/FDdemo1 and http://bit.ly/FDdemo2 to watch a team of Guide Dog instructors demonstrate at Fun
Day the advanced use of clicker training in teaching guidework to our dogs.
Save the Date!
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Canine Heroes Wine Auction: Napa, Calif.: October 1, 2011
Oregon Fall Luncheon: Portland, Ore.: November 4, 2011
Festive Holiday Luncheon: San Francisco, Calif: December 7, 2011
Gift Shop
It’s not too early to start thinking about the holidays! Shop today atguidedogs.com/shop.
 2012 Wall Calendars: $12
 Holiday Cards (set of 10): $6
Norah Hamilton Straus Donors’ Circle Donor Profile: Lynn and Steve Rose
Little did they know it, but attending a graduation five years ago at GDB’s Oregon campus was the start of a
major lifestyle change for Lynn and Steve Rose of Milwaukie, Ore. That was all it took— they were hooked!
They began volunteering: driving our students and their dogs on Sunday outings and to the airport, train
station and veterinary clinics.
Their next step was to become puppy raisers. Interestingly, all their pups have been black Labradors:
Gailanne graduated as a guide and is living with her partner in Canada; Maizie was career changed and lives
with them as the family pet; Jalina also became career changed, and Zinc is currently in training to become a
Guide Dog. To no one’s surprise, they’re hoping to get a new black Lab puppy very soon.
The couple has recently taken on even more new tasks, including managing inventory in the Oregon campus
Gift Shop, caring for dogs in the kennels, serving as puppy wranglers for a pilot project and housing puppies
when emergency homes were needed. They also enjoy doing public presentations to raise awareness for
GDB.
On top of all that, they support GDB financially. “We give to GDB because it is fiscally responsible with
donors’ monies,” Steve said. “GDB offers services at no charge and receives no government funding, and it’s
always looking for ways to improve.” Lynn agrees. “Giving and helping others is part of my upbringing,” she
said, “but this is the best setup. You get to do both—and play with puppies! You receive so much more than
you give.” Maybe they’re on to something.
As long-distance drivers for dogs, they’ve traveled to Washington, California and even as far as Utah
delivering puppies and breeder dogs to the homes of volunteers. One memorable trip necessitated
transforming their garage into a puppy kennel for the night so they could get an early morning start. They
once drove to Utah to pick up 11 dogs that were ready to begin their formal guidework training with our
instructors. Thankfully, a local puppy raising club met up with them and helped relieve the dogs.
Lynn retired from a career in law enforcement for the Federal Government and Steve devoted more than 36
years to the Oregon Air National Guard and in the Federal Civil Service. They are both members of the
Eastern Star.
Being retired allows them the luxury to devote their energies to doing what they love. “The meaning of life is to
give life meaning,” Steve said. He and his wife are perfect role models for that philosophy. They enjoy their
involvement with GDB because they get to meet so many nice people all over the country, and they like the
team spirit of GDB staff and volunteers, all working toward the same goal. “It’s nice to come to place where
everyone has so much enthusiasm and dedication for the cause,” Lynn said.
We can’t think of two more dedicated and enthusiastic individuals, and are proud to have them in our
community.
Photo:
 Lynn and Steve Rose with black Lab Maizie
News of Our Graduates
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Terry Coakley makes exotic jams that are out of this world. She’s won Best in Show at the Orange
County Fair for the second year in a row! She and her yellow Lab guide, Eden, have also been very
active in her community, Fountain Valley, Calif., raising awareness about guide dogs, advocating for
audible signals at traffic intersections and helping to develop an emergency response plan that
includes special consideration for guide dogs and their handlers in emergency situations. Sweet!
Photo: Jim and Vickie Kennedy with Vickie’s yellow Lab guide, Angela (pictured above), join Hawaii Governor
Neal Abercrombie at the signing of a new state law defining service animals.
Career Change Dog Leads to a CGA
It’s been more than forty years since career change dog owners, Mary and Bob Ames of Minden, Nev.,
adopted yellow Lab Gillis into their family. Mary and Bob were blessed to spend twelve joyful years with Gillis
who passed away in 1982. With such fond memories of their time with the dog, Mary and Bob wanted to do
something positive for Guide Dogs for the Blind and for themselves. They decided to establish a charitable gift
annuity which will provide them with a lifetime of income and pay out to GDB when they have passed away.
“It was truly a ‘win-win’ decision for both GDB and us,” said Mary.
Mary and Bob were first introduced to Guide Dogs for the Blind in 1970 while Bob was working at Hewlett
Packard in Sunnyvale, Calif. One of Bob’s co-workers was a Guide Dog user. It was through this friendship
that Mary and Bob became part of the GDB community by adopting Gillis.
Many thanks to Gillis for being our ambassador, and to Mary and Bob for their longtime generous support that
has helped to make a difference in people’s lives.
You Can Make a Difference!
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Send a donation today
To send a contribution of any type or amount, please use our special mailing address for donations
only: Guide Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 3950, San Rafael, CA 94912-3950. You can also donate at
our secure website: www.guidedogs.com.
Eliminate checks and postage
Direct your bank to automatically transfer your donation; we’ll send you a year-end letter of
confirmation.
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Make an Honor or Memorial gift
Pay tribute to a friend, relative or pet; we will send cards of celebration or sympathy in your name.
Create a Legacy in your estate plan
Make a lasting commitment by naming GDB in your will, trust, or as a beneficiary of your annuity, life
insurance policy, IRA or retirement plan. We honor such commitments with membership in our
Legacy Society.
Designate your gift
Designate your donation to go toward a specific GDB program. Visit the “Case for Giving” section of
our website for more info.
For more information on any of these giving options, please contact our Development Department at (800)
295-4050.
Note: Photo IDs from the cover of Guide Dog News 2011 Issue #2: Jeff Senge and yellow Lab guide Fodi,
Breean Cox and yellow Lab guide Nali, Harmeet Sekhon and yellow Lab guide Tadashi.