STARTING AT 7:00 CENTRAL ON CBS
THERE'S SOMEONE WHO HAS LITTLE
OR NO I FIGHT VENTURING OUT
INTO THE WORLD CAN BE SCARY.
THEIR LIFE CAN BECOME ISOLATED
WHERE THEY FEEL SAFE? BUT WITH
A TRAINED GUIDE DOG LIKE
JACKSON HERE THE WORLD OPENS UP
TO THEM MAKING THAT HAPPEN IS
THE MISSION OF GUIDING EYES FOR
THE BLIND. AND I'D LIKE TO
INTRODUCE YOU TO ELLEN HIGGINS
PUPPY RAISER FOR GUIDING EYES
FOR A BLIND DELMARVA REGION
ALONG WITH THAT SCOTCH HERE WHO
IS A RETIRED GUIDE DOG AND THEN
WE HAVE DIANE GREER ALSO A
PUPPY RAISER AND HER PUP
JACKSON WHO'S SAYING HELLO TO
SCOTCH RIGHT NOW. HI TO
THE SHOW BOTH OF YOU. SO FIRST
I WANT TO ASK YOU. TELL ABOUT
SCOTCH. HE'S RETIRED HE'S
RETIRED. SO SCOTCH IS 12 YEARS
OLD AND MY HUSBAND AND I RAISED
SCOTCH IN 2000 AND AIDES LIKE
AND WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO
RETURN TO GUIDING LIGHTS FOR
THE BLIND WHICH WAS AT ABOUT 18
MONTHS OF AGE. HE DID HIS
FORMAL GUIDE DOG TRAINING IN
HARNESS WHERE HE LEARNED TO
GUIDE. HE WAS MATCHED WITH A
VERY NICE GENTLEMAN NAMED BUDDY
FROM KENTUCKY AND HE GUIDED
BUDDY IN KENTUCKY FOR MANY
YEARS YEAH. AND WHEN IT WAS
TIME FOR SCOTCH TO RETIRE WE
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADOPT
AND WELCOME HIM BACK AS HIS
FOREVER HOME. SO WE'RE THRILLED
TO HAVE HIM THAT'S A WONDERFUL.
YOU CAN SEE HOW STRESSED OUT?
YES YES? DIANE YOU HAVE JACKSON
WHO YOU ARE CURRENTLY TRAINING
RIGHT. HE IS UP TO SIX MONTHS
OLD AND I GOT HIM IN OCTOBER
AND HE'S YOU KNOW STILL THERE'S
A LOT OF PUPPY LEFT IN THIS
DOG. AND THERE WILL BE FOR A
WHILE BUT HE I THINK HE HAS ALL
THE MAKINGS TO BE TO GO ALL
THE WAY THROUGH WITH THEIR ABLE
TO GUIDE SOMEBODY WHO CAN'T SAY
WE HAVE PAPE ON ON THE FLOOR TO
SHOW US WHERE TO PUT THINGS AND
WE DON'T MANY MORE DATA. HE'S
STILL A PUPPY SO HOW DID THAT.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH
GUIDING LIGHT ARMORED. I'M
GONNA MY OWN LAB AND I ENJOYED
TRAINING HIM I NEED A DOG
THAT'S FAIRLY OBEDIENT AND I
ENJOYED TRAINING HIM. SO I
WANTED TO DO THIS LIFE CHANGED
FOR ME AND I HAD A SCHEDULE
WHERE I COULD ACTUALLY GIVE AND
I FOUND GUIDING EYES THROUGH
THE FARMER'S MARKET IN EASTON
REALLY. THAT'S SO I JUST JUMPED
RIGHT ON THE BANDWAGON AS FAST
AS I COULD. SURE SURE. NOW ELON
OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED
FOR A LONG TIME. FIFTEEN YEAH.
HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT WELL I
LOVE LABS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE
FOUR AND I THOUGHT YOU KNOW
THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING I
CAN PUT THIS PASSION AND LOVE
TO SOMETHING THAT MAKES A
DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. AND SO
RAISING A SERVICE DOG TO SEEM
LIKE A REALLY GOOD FIT FOR ME
AND GUIDING US FOR THE BLIND
WAS JUST SO WELCOMING AND SO
JUST WARM AND WANTING TO
ENCOURAGE ME TO MOVE FORWARD
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERY
ONE OF THEM TO A PERSON JUST
LOVES WHAT THEY DO AND THEY
LOVE THE DOGS AND SO IT'S A
REALLY NICE. IT'S A REALLY NICE
POSITIVE THING TO BE INVOLVED
WITH. SO YOU WHEN YOU RAISE
THEM AND THEY GO TO A TRAINER.
YES WE RAISE USUALLY FOR A
PERIOD OF 14 TO 16 MONTHS. WE
GET THEM WHEN THEY'RE ABOUT
EIGHT WEEKS OF AGE AND WE TEACH
THEM SOME BASIC OBEDIENCE
SKILLS. WE DO HOUSEBROKEN
OBVIOUSLY CRATE TRAINING AND
ALSO HOUSE MANNERS ARE
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE
THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIVING WITH
A PERSON WHO CAN'T SEE? SO IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT THEY NOT BE
COUNTER SURFING OR STEALING
FOOD. SO WE WORK REALLY HARD ON
THOSE KIND OF SKILLS AND WE
ALSO DO A LOT OF SOCIALIZATION
SO THAT THE DOG HAS
THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL
COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT IN
ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS SURE
SURE. AND DIANE YOU WERE
TELLING ME THAT YOU YOU TAKE
JACKSON OUT INTO RESTAURANTS
AND PLACES LIKE THAT NOW. YES
AND TO WORK AROUND THE PARK
BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY SMELLS
THAT SORT OF THING EVERYTHING.
ANYTHING I CAN DO THAT'S
UNUSUAL I TAKE THEM TO
BASKETBALL GAMES YOU KNOW
NOISES BALLS CHILDREN PLAYING
ARE ALL GOOD THINGS TO HELP
THEM LEARN HOW TO BEHAVE
PROPERLY NOW. HAVE YOU HEARD
BACK FROM THE PEOPLE WHO
OBTAINED THE DOG. WELL ONE OF
THE REALLY NICE THINGS ABOUT
GUIDING LIGHTS AND NOT ALL
THE SERVICE DOG ORGANIZATIONS
ARE LIKE THIS IS THAT THEY
REALLY ENCOURAGE THE PERSON WHO
GETS THE PUPPY OR THE GUIDE DOG
AT THAT POINT TO MAINTAIN
CONTACT WITH THE PUPPY RAISER
PUPPY RAISERS ARE INVITED TO GO
TO GRADUATION WHEN THE DOG AND
THEIR NEW PARTNER GRADUATE
TOGETHER AND INFORMATION IS
EXCHANGED. AND IN THE DAYS OF
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FACEBOOK IT'S
BECOME REALLY REALLY MUCH
EASIER TO MAINTAIN THAT
RELATIONSHIP SOME OF
THE PUPPIES EVEN HAVE THEIR
FACEBOOK PAGES WONDERFUL THAT
THEY'RE THAT THEIR PARTNER SET
UP FOR THEM. AND SO YOU HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT
THE DOG IS DOING THE DIFFERENCE
IT'S MAKING AND THE PERSON'S
LIFE. AND ALSO TO SEE PHOTOS
WHICH IS REALLY KIND OF HARD ON
YOUR FAMILY. THAT'S WONDERFUL.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET
INVOLVED WITH THIS ORGANIZATION
WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU
NEED ON OUR WEB SITE DELMARVA
LIFE DOT COM. ELLEN AND DIANE
GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME. AND THANK YOU DR. AND
