[nagdu] New organization trains guide dogs for visually impaired

[Ginger Kutsch]

New organization trains guide dogs for visually impaired

By Shirley Qiu

Seattle Times staff reporter

http://seattletimes.com/html/living/2023854416_guidedogguyxml.html

 

Toby Willis, who has lost most of his vision to retinitis pigmentosa,
started his own guide-dog training organization after discovering the
logistical, social and emotional benefits of working a guide dog.

 

 

Meeting with Toby Willis, you may not notice his visual impairment.

 

He greets you with a cheery smile and a friendly handshake. He makes eye
contact with you during conversation. He treads carefully but confidently,
sans walking cane. 

 

But you will notice his sidekick: a young German Shepherd guide dog named
Dazzler. Willis, at 40 years old, has gradually lost his vision to retinitis
pigmentosa since early childhood. He said his guide dog has been a big
factor in creating a normal life for him, increasing his sense of safety and
freedom, and expanding social opportunities. 

 

Disheartened by the shortage of guide dogs available for visually impaired
individuals in the United States, he was inspired to take matters into his
own hands. In 2011, he founded Independence Guide Dogs (IGD), a nonprofit
organization based at his home near Georgetown, to help train guide dogs for
blind and visually impaired individuals. 

 

IGD is run predominantly by a group of 30 volunteers, Willis included, as
well as two certified guide-dog trainers and a few contractors. Their
mission, he said, is to increase independence for individuals - hence, the
name of the organization. 

 

"Not only does (a guide dog) provide safer, faster travel, self-confidence
and security, there's also a great social catalyst that few people think
of," he said. "You know, I often say, 'Nobody ever wanted to pet my white
cane' ... The dog allows me the opportunity to meet people, which is really
important in today's professional community that requires that we be good
networkers." 

 

An estimated 12,000 people now use guide dogs in the United States, and the
wait time is typically three to six months, according to Marion Gwizdala,
president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users. IGD is the first
guide-dog training organization based in Washington state and the second in
the Northwestern United States. 

 

After a long period of fundraising through small dinner parties,
social-media promotion and outreach to corporate sponsors, IGD was able to
train then match its first two German Shepherd puppies, donated by private
breeders, with owners in the past couple of months. A committee of trainers
and professional care providers reviewed each applicant's health and
mobility information, which included a video of the applicants walking to
demonstrate their gait and stride.

 

Dazzler turned out to be a good fit for Willis, who recently retired his
previous guide dog of eight years.

 

The other German Shepherd, Bozzy, was matched with Janis Limon, from
Arizona. Limon, 59, had owned several guide dogs in the past 38 years before
finding IGD online. She was matched with Bozzy a couple of months after
applying, a vast improvement from the one-plus years she has had to wait for
past guide dogs.

 

Since meeting Bozzy, Limon has been able to more easily lead the active and
independent lifestyle she strives for - in which she travels by foot at
least three miles per day. She considers him "without a doubt" the most
hardworking and healthy guide dog she's had.

 

"When you get the harness out, he's ready to go," she said. "That's what he
lives for, that's what he loves to do ... All he wants to do is to please
you."

 

She owes his work ethic and good health, she said, to IGD's kennel-free
training program, which Willis calls "Home to Harness." As opposed to
traditional guide-dog training programs, which move dogs to a kennel
training facility after a period of house training, IGD does all training
and socializing in homes and around the future owner's neighborhood.

 

This, Willis said, makes the transition easier for both the dog and the
owner.

 

"I think for any dog, it can be a challenge going from a home to a kennel
like that," he said. "I've heard of guide dogs being placed who weren't
housebroken, because that six-month time in the kennel, they forgot it ... I
never want to put a client in that position where there's extra hurdles to
overcome in order to be a successful team."

 

With its first two trained guide dogs successfully matched, Willis and his
team are now looking forward to helping the next clients, and that starts
with fundraising and finding new puppies. They're hoping to start their own
breeding facility in Seattle in the near future to eliminate their
dependence on puppy donors.

 

Each puppy costs $25,000 to train but is offered to each client free of
charge.

 

"We provide it free to the clients, but someone has to pay for it," he said
with a laugh. "Most people in general - who can write a check for $25,000
for a dog? But the change that the dog makes is priceless."