With a little help from some flamingo friends (a youth group fund raiser for the United Methodist Church of Yucaipa) the flock of flamingos descended upon our yard to provide distractions for the twenty-two puppies that came to learn and play. 

What the puppies did not realize was that the flamingos helped them get used to walking around strange and new things. It also helped to polish up the puppies heeling skills and leash walking abilities as they navigated around the brilliant pink birds. 

This is just one of the many fun experiences provided by Guide Dogs of the Desert for the puppies and puppy raisers.

Puppy Raising is a unique and fun way to do something life-changing for another person. Guide Dogs of the Desert provides guide dogs and training, free of charge to the visually impaired.

The puppy raiser is a volunteer who takes the puppy into their home at twelve weeks of age and loves and socializes the puppy until 14 - 16 months later, when the puppy (now a dog) is called back to the Guide Dog of the Desert campus to begin formal guide dog training. Puppy raising is a very important part of the successful training of a guide dog. Guide Dogs of the Desert is always looking for puppy raisers.

Puppy raising is an integral part in the process of the puppy becoming a fully trained guide dog, and this is why we are proud to be area leaders for the Inland Empire.  

Jack and Ruth Carey