February Header - Happy Valentines Day
UPCOMING EVENTS
to benefit
gddweblogo
________________

Tour de Palm Springs

Bicycle Ride
February 9, 2013
Click here for their website
_______________

February Graduation

February 10, 2013
2pm
Guide Dogs of the Desert
_______________

Kiwanis Club of Chino

Pancake Breakfast
Bring your dog to breakfast!
at Bark Around Ayala Park
February 9, 2013
8am - 11am
________________

A Bunco Afternoon

April 21, 2013
Event begins 2pm Promptly
Grand Terrace Lions Facility
__________________
May Graduation
May 19, 2013
2pm
Guide Dogs of the Desert
______________

Colorado Guide Dog
Poker Run
Colorado Springs, CO
June 8, 2013

Visit our website
or call 760-329-6257
for more event details


VISIT OUR PHOTO GALLERY
July Labrador Pups

Volunteer Receptionists Needed at the Guide Dogs of the Desert Wellness Center. Daily from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. If you can assist with all or part of these days and times, please call Patti Wheeler at
760-413-4442 or email at pwheeler@gddca.org

 Volunteer Puppy Raisers needed

Our 2013 calendars are still available for purchase!
Get one now for only $5.00!
Call us and order yours today.
760-329-6257
2013 Calendar

DONATE YOUR
UNUSED MILES


Our licensed guide dog trainers travel to clients with their guide dogs. Do you have unused or unwanted miles? You can donate them to Guide Dogs of the Desert! Call us at
760-329-6257 or email us at info@gddca.org

Guide Dogs of the Desert would like to thank our sponsors for their support
NaturalBalance
petco
Milauskas Logo
lionslogo

Board of Directors
Bob Niez - Chair
Cynthia Woods - Vice Chair
Randy Browning, MD Secretary
Jim Klocek - Treasurer

Board Members
Raymond McLean
Albert T. Milauskas, MD
Leonard Sigdestad, DVM

Honorary Board Members
Arnold and Kit Palmer
James Garner
Peter Marshall
Dick Van Patten
Tom Sullivan
Betty White

Our Staff

Management Team
Kim Laidlaw
Executive Director
Trina Began
Deputy Executive Director
and Director of Canine Development
Curt Bergeron
Director of Operations
Bob Wendler
Director of Canine Operations

Adminstration
Mary Dean
Admissions Coordinator
and Dorm Manager
Linda Samulski
Studen Services &
Community Outreach
Debbie Sloss-Coyle
Data Base Manager
Shean Pao
Creative Manager

Kennel
Jennifer Pinder
Kennel Manager
Cheri Duncan
Kennel Technician
Emily Goodland
Apprentice Guide Dog Mobility Instructor and Orientation & Mobility Instructor
Mike McCullough
Kennel Technician
Lori Miller
Manager of Canine Development
Michal Anna Padilla
Licensed Guide Dog Mobility Instructor and Orientation & Mobility Instructor

Join Our Mailing List
Desert Dog Run Lets Ride Header
   
Join us for our Troy P. Dunne Memorial Ride, with five poker stops venturing up Hw
y 74 through Idyllwild, and ending at The Owen Coffman Post 519 American Legion in Palm Springs.

    
There will be live music by Josh Ballard and Burning Bettie, delicious BBQ for sale by Lowbelly BBQ, lots of fun raffles, and vendors too!
 
LETS RIDE! 

APRIL 6th, 2013 
 
Guide Dogs of the Desert Wins 2013 Rammy Award

Rammy Awards Photo
Guide Dogs of the Desert was awarded the 2013 Rammy Award from the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce for exemplary non-profit organization, as voted by the members of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce!   

Yeah, Guide Dogs of the Desert!!!
 

 Thank You Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce!
The Senate Goes to the Dogs:  
Two Important Bills Passed!

Photo of a soldier and german shepherd
It was very exciting late yesterday when the U.S. Senate considered two important measures to help animals in need!


First, the Senate took up the cause of canine heroes who have served in our military and passed a provision that streamlines the adoption process for retired military dogs and authorizes the Department of Defense to provide veterinary care in the animals' retirement without any cost to American taxpayers. Military dogs perform dangerous, critical tasks, and it is our duty to honor these dogs and ensure they are cared for after their service is complete. The House passed similar language in their version of the military bill earlier this year.


Then, just moments later, the Senate passed the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act by a unanimous voice vote. This bill, introduced by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Scott Brown (R-MA), will give law enforcement additional tools to crack down on animal fighting. The legislation will make it a federal offense to attend an organized animal fight and will impose additional penalties for taking minors to animal fights.


Take Action!
We are encouraged that in the twilight hours of this Congress, animals in need have not been forgotten by federal lawmakers. The

ASPCA has been working around the clock with members of Congress to ensure passage of both bills, but we still need your help. Please call your representative and ask him or her to support the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act in the House. Animals victimized in this grisly blood sport are in desperate need-and they are counting on us to get the job done!

 
Marines and Sailors of Mag 39 Community Relations Project
Marines getting a demonstration of how a guide dog works
Marines and Sailors getting a demonstration of a working
Guide Dog during a break.

60 Marines and Sailors out of Camp Pendleton donated their time last week, assisting with landscaping, moving heavy furniture and clean up at the Guide Dogs of the Desert campus and new Puppy Development Center. We are so thankful for their assistance!


A heartfelt thanks to Dennis Wheeler from Aircraft Group 39 and his wife Patti for organizing and helping at the event! View the photos here.
Notification of Donations 
In an effort to conserve trees, and in light of the recent increase in postage, for all donations less than 25.00, we will no longer be sending thank you letters in the mail.  We will however provide you with a year-end summary of all your donations for tax purposes.  Please call Debbie Coyle at 760-329-6257 for this summary. 
Trina's January Tips for our Canine Friends
pupwrose
 
The month of February is a great excuse to purchase some chocolate. We all love our share of some extra treats around Valentines Day. Please remember that chocolate is toxic to our pets. Dogs have been known to sneak where they have never sneaked before. They will quickly grab a mouthful if available on a counter or low table. Depending on your dogs size and weight and the amount they consume will determine the amount of veterinarian attention they will need to receive. If your dog happens to ingest chocolate you should contact your veterinarian for advice.

If you have children or grandchildren in the home, please watch that your pet does not ingest school projects or decorations that have been so carefully created. The glues, sequins and other decorations can be harmful if swallowed or lodged in your pet's mouth.
Monster.com First Job Search Website in Industry to make Website Accessible for Blind Users


Result of Agreement Between Monster Worldwide and the Attorney General's Office and National Federation of the Blind; First Job Search Website to Be Fully Accessible. 

    

BOSTON - The popular job search website Monster.com will be the first job search and recruitment website in the industry to provide job seekers who are blind with full and equal access to all of its products and services including mobile applications, Attorney General Martha Coakley, Monster Worldwide, Inc. and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) announced today. 
 
The announcement is the result of an agreement with the AG's Office and the NFB and provides meaningful benefit to individuals nationwide who are blind or visually impaired. As part of the agreement, Monster will contribute $50,000 to the Commonwealth that will be used to fund the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind's (MCB) job internship program. Monster will also make a $50,000 contribution to the NFB and serve as the title sponsor of the NFB's annual convention in 2013. 
 
"Over the past year, a team at Monster has been working closely with teams from the National Federation of the Blind and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office to enhance our Monster.com website in a way that will provide more opportunities for blind job seekers to find jobs," said Mark Conway, Chief Information Officer, Monster Worldwide. "Although portions of our site were already accessible, we all agreed we could do more. Based on the work of these teams, the Monster.com site will be enhanced to make its website and mobile applications accessible to blind job seekers. This has been an enormous undertaking and is an exciting accomplishment for which we can all be proud."
 
To make its website and mobile applications accessible to job seekers who are blind, Monster is making them compatible with innovative technology called screen access software that renders on-screen information into Braille or speech so that blind individuals can use keyboard commands to access the same information as sighted users.  

State and federal laws not only prohibit disparate treatment of individuals with disabilities in employment and housing, but also require that all businesses operating places of public accommodation provide people with disabilities with full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, and facilities.
gddweblogo
P.O. Box 1692
Palm Springs, CA 92263

 

Guide Dogs of the Desert
Training Facility
60-735 Dillon Road,
Whitewater, CA 92282
Monday - Friday:
8:30am - 4:30pm
Phone: 760-329-6257  
Fax: 760-329-2866
Toll free: 888-883-0022
www.gddca.org

Wellness Center
760-329-1282