SL Announcement!

Dear Friends,

It’s been a real SL kind of day!  Beyond belief.  So great.  …and it has NOTHING to do with FBC.

We have added to our family (WITHOUT MY HAVING TO BE PREGNANT!!!!!!)

I am so happy to introduce the newest member of our family: BUZZ!

Buzz is a 4 1/2 year-old “career redirected” guide dog from Leader Dogs for the Blind (http://www.leaderdog.org/about/index.php).

“Career redirected” is a wonderful way of saying that despite certain disabilities, Buzz is not longer able to stay in the Leader Dog program.  (He gets ear infections with enough consistency that it became unmanageable to the person he was servicing.) Buzz’s most recent job assignment was servicing a man in inner-city Detroit.  He was terrific at his job and if it were not for Buzz’s disability, he would still be living and working in Detroit.

Now I know many of you might be thinking:  are they F-bomb CRAZY?  A new dog between surgery and chemotherapy?  WTF?  Yes, we may be a little crazy, but it’s the best, most wonderful decision we could have made at this point in our lives.

There is nothing better than four-legged love and boy oh boy did we get it in spades!  As I type this, he is snuggled up right next to me with his head on my lap.  Heaven!

Please let me tell you a little bit about Leader Dog for the Blind.  The organization is absolutely amazing!  You can read more on their website (above):

Founded in 1939, Leader Dogs for the Blind provides guide dogs to people who are blind and visually impaired to enhance their mobility, independence and quality of life. Each year, over 270 students attend their 26-day residential training program to be paired with a guide dog. This is a life-changing event that opens the door to independence, safety and self-worth for many of our students.

In addition to the guide dog program, they offer programs that enhance a person’s independence and quality of life in other ways, including:

1. Orientation and mobility training
2. GPS training
3. Seminars for Orientation and Mobility professionals.

Currently, Leader Dog is the only facility in the Western Hemisphere to teach Deaf-blind students to work with a guide dog.

Guide dog services are provided FREE (yes, FREE!) of charge, including room and board and travel to and from their campus in Rochester Hills, Michigan, for students living in North America.

Can I repeat that they offer their services FREE of charge?  One of the things that I learned  (among many!) in this process is that the majority of people who are blind are unable to find work because they are perceived as being unemployable.  How shocking and terribly sad. As a consequence, they generally have tremendous financial limitations.

Let me repeat one more time: Leader Dogs for the Blind raises ALL of the money to provide these incredible services for FREE.  How amazing is this?

And for the dogs who either don’t make it through the rigorous training program (only a small % actually do complete the program because the standards are so rigorous) or have to be career redirected after working in the field, Leader Dog ensures that all dogs find homes.

Leader Dog is recognized as a “Best In America” Charity by the Independent Charities of America (ICA). DUH. I should hope so!

It has been (and will continue to be!) a great honor to know and work with Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Doesn’t it make your heart sing to find SL everywhere in the world?

Going to sleep feeling so happy and grateful.  I hope that you all are as well.