[NFBF-Tampa] News Release about Freedom Guide Dogs' 30th Anniversary Picnic

Thu Oct 27 16:32:00 UTC 2022

Please circulate the following message as widely as appropriate.

For Immediate Release!

FROM:  Freedom Gide Dogs for the Blind

DATE: October 27, 2022

TO: All Media

CONTACT: Susan Harden 

     941-224-1858 

     Sharden12 at tampabay.rr.com <mailto:Sharden12 at tampabay.rr.com> >

DISTINCTIVE GUIDE DOG TRAINING PROGRAM CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

On November 5th, more than seventy-five blind guide dog users, puppy-raisers, guide dog trainers, and other supporters from across Florida will gather to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind. Freedom Guide Dogs is a non-profit organization that promotes independent living of the blind through breeding, raising, training, and providing guide dogs to blind individuals. Freedom has provided dogs to more than sixty graduates of their Florida program which trains the blind recipient in their local community. 

“This is a distinctive program,” says Eric Loori, Freedom’s executive director, “since other programs require participants to attend their programs away from the community where the dog and handler actually live and work.”

Freedom Guide Dogs is not only unique due to their approach to training but because of the breeds of dogs they train. In addition to the standard Labrador retriever, Freedom breeds smooth coat collies, crosses the Labrador and collie to create what they call a “lollie”, and the Bouvier des Flanders, a hypoallergenic dog they place with those with allergies to dog dander.

“These dogs allow us to navigate our communities safely in order to participate more fully in everyday life activities from going to work, shopping, and attending community events,” says Sue Harden, a blind Freedom handler and organizer of the event.

Freedom Guide Dogs has bred, raised, trained, and placed Guide Dogs with the Blind in the eastern United States for 30 years at no charge to the blind recipient. Freedom also places Guide Dogs with blind Veterans anywhere in the United States. Freedom places guide dogs through their unique program - Hometown Training® – in which Freedom trainers travel directly to where the blind recipients live, training the two as a team in their home community, ensuring that they are working confidently and safely with one another. Freedom Guide Dogs is a non-profit 501(C)(3 organization with their headquarters located in Upstate New York and a satellite location in Cocoa, Florida. Their mission of “Providing another pair of eyes to those who cannot see” would not be possible without our generous supporters, donors, volunteers, staff, and board members. For more information, please visit www.freedomguidedogs.org <http://www.freedomguidedogs.org> 

If You Come…

Where:            Tampa’s Lowry Park 

7525 North Boulevard

                        Shelter 118

Tampa, Florida 33604

When: Saturday, November 5 

Time: 12:00 noon until 4:00 p.m.

For more information, please contact Susan Harden at 941-224-1858 or email at Sharden12 at tampabay.rr.com <mailto:Sharden12 at tampabay.rr.com> >

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