Our guest speaker on Friday, February 2nd was Rebecca Minelga, with the Snohomish County Chapter of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Rebecca was accompanied by Santana, a nine month old yellow lab-retriever mix. Mission: the Mission of Guide Dogs for the Blind are to harness the power of partnerships-connecting people, dogs and communities and to transform lives of individuals with visual impairments.
Vision: An inclusive world where people with visual impairments have equal opportunities and live full , independent lives.
Puppy Raising 101 goes through many stages. From the Raisers and puppies going through extensive training and be apart of the program for 12-14 months. To learn more about their training requirements and procedures visit www.guidedogs.com.
Training includes Basic Obedience, Socialization, Out and About and so much more to prepare them for their eventual home. Every aspect of their day is considered "working" whether sleeping, walking, socializing or laying quietly chewing a bone.
What a fantastic program.
Rebecca with Santana and accompanied by a puppy in training who is three months old. Both were very comfortable, attentive, relaxed and quiet.
Rebecca is an author and speaker who uses the power of words to navigate the liminal spaces between who we are and who we are becoming. She raises Guide Dog Puppies with two sons-in that order-with her husband just north of Seattle. When not writing, she can be found in open waters swimming in her local lake, exploring the National Parks with her family, or traveling the world on an adventure.
In 2016, Rebecca was thrilled to work closely with Guide Dogs for the Blind and KTF Films to create the multi-award-winning "dog"umentary, Pick of the Litter, which is now streaming.