Southeastern Guide Dogs
Perhaps you have seen these adorable dogs walking on the street or even at the mall, often in their bright blue coats or harnesses. Or maybe on the cute puppy billboard on I-275 South. It’s hard not to smile at any precious puppy—but these dogs are different. They are puppies with a purpose, born and trained in Palmetto on the Southeastern Guide Dogs campus to make a difference in someone’s world.
“There is a human out there that needs this puppy,” says Amra Dillard Rickwa, puppy raising services advisor for the nonprofit organization. “And their life is going to benefit so much from having this dog.”
But first it takes an army of volunteers across the country. More than 250 puppies are born and trained every year at SEGD, according to Rickwa, and hundreds of volunteer puppy raisers get to enjoy their sweet and slobbery kisses. The dogs are bred and born on the impressively high tech SEGD campus in Palmetto. At around 8 weeks of age, the puppies go to live with volunteers, who commit to 3, 6, or 12 months of hugs and high-energy fun. The volunteers come from all walks of life and they teach the puppies house manners and give them their first public experiences. They also become part of a puppy support group led by educated trainers. The group creates an immediate connection among pro-puppy people, who don’t mind a few licks and understand that one never leaves home without a poop bag.
“We don’t expect our puppy raisers to be professional dog trainers,” Rickwa reassures.
Then, at around 15 months old, the puppies return to the SEGD campus for their more advanced education, where the dogs show staff trainers whether they are best suited to be guide or service animals. But how does a volunteer ever say goodbye to their puppy? Rickwa describes the selfless reward.
“They take a little piece of your heart every time. We love these puppies with our whole heart. But I don’t NEED this puppy.”
Someone like Katie McCoy does. The visually impaired and very active young woman was born with retinitis pigmentosa. Her SEGD, Bristol, has opened her world.
“There was a lot of stuff I avoided doing that I didn’t even realize I was,” McCoy admits. “Bristol gives me the ability to do new things and be confident, and she is there when the anxiety comes.”
“I didn’t realize how much anxiety I had. I was constantly having to be so aware of everything around me that I wasn’t enjoying anything.”
McCoy enjoys SEGD so much that she moved across the country to work at the Palmetto campus in philanthropy, which is an important component to the SEGD mission. These premier pups are provided free of charge to the veterans and visually impaired who need them. It’s a life-changing process, bringing people and puppies together.
