We are puppy raisers for Guide Dogs for the Blind. The national headquarters is in San Rafael, California and there is an additional campus in Boring, Oregon (Portland). All the puppies are bred in San Rafael from GDB's own breeding stock. The puppies come out to raiser homes at 8-10 weeks of age. Puppies are raised in 10 western states: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Idaho. Our club is based in Arapahoe County, CO. Our raisers live in many cities in the south metro area of Denver: Aurora, Littleton, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock.
Our puppy raising club was started in 1992 with a leader, 2 raisers and 2 puppies. By 1997, 22 puppies were being raised and the club was divided into a few clubs. For many years, we were affiliated with a local 4-H club, which brought in many youth. Today, we have a mix of youth and adult raisers.
Mission Statement of Guide Dogs for the Blind
Guide Dogs for the Blind empowers lives through exceptional partnerships between people, dogs, and communities.
Leadership Team
Carmen Moyer is our founding leader. She handles all matters regarding membership and is our main liaison with Guide Dogs for the Blind campus and our Puppy Field Manager (PFM). She coordinates getting puppies into raiser's homes and delivers GDB news about our puppy's next step!
Nancy Lukacovic is our training specialist. Weekly classes are held for puppies from 8-20 weeks of age. Getting new raisers and new puppies off to a positive start requires more frequent classes. Young puppies can develop health or behavior issues quickly so frequent communication is highly encouraged. From 20 weeks to final destination...recall to campus for formal training or career change ( leaving the GDB program), Nancy holds training meetings twice a month and one social outing a month that is appropiate for the maturity of the pups. That can be a challenge as what is a positive enriching outing for a 14 month old pup is too much for a 5 month old! Meetings are free and all are welcome to come. Some of our outings may have a cost, such as riding the light rail train.
