Milestone: Sequim raisers see three Guide Dogs graduate

Sequim Puppy Raisers with Guide Dogs for the Blind recently announced that three of their puppies in training graduated as working guides.

Babs, a yellow laborador raised by Jon and Karen Tyson, completed in-home training with Diana in Idaho and graduated on June 14. She was the Tysons’ first puppy to raise for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Leora, a yellow lab raised by Kandi and Darrell Whitley and Kim Rosales, finished training with Leora and Chris in Ontario, Canada, and graduated on June 3. She, too, was the Whitleys’ first puppy raised, and Rosales’ 10th puppy raised.

Vespa, a yellow lab raised by Deb and Tom Cox, completed training with Rocky of La Jolla, Calif., and graduated on March 25. Vespa was the Coxes’ 14th puppy raised for Guide Dogs.

Raisers receive puppies when they’re 8- to 10-weeks old from California and train them for about a year before sending them for further training at the Guide Dogs for the Blind facility in Boring, Ore.

If they pass the four-month, eight-phase program, the dogs can be matched with a visually impaired partner on-site.

For more information on raising a Guide Dog, visit guidedogs.com/puppy or email Deb Cox at Guidedogdeb98382@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy Sequim Puppy Raisers/ Babs, a yellow lab raised by Jon and Karen Tyson with Sequim Puppy Raisers, completed in-home training with Diana in Idaho and graduated on June 14 from the Guide Dogs for the Blind program.

Photo courtesy Sequim Puppy Raisers/ Babs, a yellow lab raised by Jon and Karen Tyson with Sequim Puppy Raisers, completed in-home training with Diana in Idaho and graduated on June 14 from the Guide Dogs for the Blind program.

Photo courtesy Sequim Puppy Raisers/ Tom and Deb Cox of Sequim raised Vespa as a puppy and she went on to graduate this spring through the Guide Dogs for the Blind program.

Photo courtesy Sequim Puppy Raisers/ Tom and Deb Cox of Sequim raised Vespa as a puppy and she went on to graduate this spring through the Guide Dogs for the Blind program.