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Dear Friends of Guide Dogs of the Desert,
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Sarah G. Clapp and Button
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I am so excited to be at Guide Dogs of the Desert! With wonderful patience of the staff (I have so much to learn) and congratulatory notes from donors I have known throughout my career path here in the desert, I have been made to feel welcome and truly at home.
Guide Dogs of the Desert has the capability to expand on its delivery of the highest quality of training for students and we are all anxiously anticipating welcoming the students scheduled for the coming season. It is my hope as we look to the coming year that we can continue to identify new avenues in which to put our dogs into service. Consideration is being given to two significant programs, which I am hopeful I can report to you in newsletters during the next couple of months.
Many exciting plans and events are being formulated for the coming season, and I look forward to meeting all Guide Dog supporters, be it at a graduation, the HEROES BRUNCH in December, or out-and-about in the community.
Thank you for all you do for Guide Dogs of the Desert and supporting our mission. Best wishes for a great upcoming season!
Sarah G. Clapp
Executive Director
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Combined Federal Campaign
Guide Dogs of the Desert is CFC Approved! Our 5 digit code is 25219. Guide Dogs of the Desert is proud to announce that we have become an approved charity for the Combined Federal Campaign.We provide custom trained guide dogs to those individuals who are blind, many of which are military veterans. In addition, for those dogs who's career does not take them into guide dog service, we provide service dogs for veterans returning with post traumatic stress disorder and dogs for autism.
The CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, with almost 200 CFC campaigns throughout the country and overseas raising millions of dollars each year. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season (September 1st to December 15th) support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.
Support Guide Dogs of the Desert.
Here are the areas included in each of the local campaigns we are approved for and the websites in which someone can donate through.
Southern California Combined Federal Campaign
Greater Southern California Combined Federal Campaign
San Bernardino County, Western Riverside County, in CA
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UPCOMING EVENTSto benefit  SAVE THE DATE
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DAY AT THE RACES
September 29, 2013
Santa Anita racetrack
$50.00 per person
RSVP by September 15
Call Jim Klocek - 909-215-7321 ____________________________ OCTOBER GRADUATION October 20, 2013 Ceremony begins at 2pm ____________________________ A BUNCO AFTERNOON November 3, 2013 Begins 2:00 pm (promptly) $20.00 before October 29th Grand Terrace Lions Facility Call Jim Klocek - 909-215-7321 ____________________________ NOVEMBER GRADUATION November 24, 2013 Ceremony begins at 2pm _________________________ 7th Annual
HEROES BRUNCH!December 7, 2013 ____________________ SANTA PAWS WALKDecember 21, 2013 sign up at www.racewire.com or www.active.comCall Molly Thorpe for more information at 760-413-6508 ____________________ Visit our website or call 760-329-6257 for more event details _________________________ Guide Dogs of the Desert
2014 calendars!
 Guide Dogs of the Desert
calendars are for sale.
Call 760-329-6257 to
purchase yours now!
Cost: $10.00 plus $2.25 shipping per calendar.  Thank you to Natural Balance for making our calendars possible!______________________ VISIT OUR PHOTO GALLERY  Volunteer Receptionists Needed at the Guide Dogs of the Desert administration and Wellness Center. Hours are flexible_______________________ We are looking for volunteers to help clean the kennels daily from 8am-12pmPlease contact Patti Wheeler at 760-413-4442 or email her at pwheeler@gddca.org if you would like to volunteer. Our Administration office is still closed on Fridays  _____________________ Guide Dogs of the Desert would
like to thank our sponsors
for their support
   Board of Directors
Bob Niez - Chair
Cynthia Woods - Vice Chair
Randy Browning, MD - Secretary
Jim Klocek - Treasurer
Raymond McLean
Albert T. Milauskas, MD
Leonard Sigdestad, DVM
Honorary Board Members
Arnold and Kit Palmer
James Garner
Peter Marshall
Tom Sullivan
Dick Van Patten
Betty White
Our Staff
Management Team
Sarah Clapp
Executive Director Kim Laidlaw
Deputy Executive Director Trina Began
Director of Canine Development Curt Bergeron
Director of Operations
Lori Miller
Manager of Breeding and
Canine Development
Bob Wendler
Director of Canine Operations
Adminstration
Marjorie Griffith
Part-Time Admin. Assistant
Shean Pao
Creative Manager
Linda Samulski
Student Services Debbie Sloss-Coyle
Database Manager
Kennel
Jennifer Pinder
Kennel Manager
Angela Coleman
Cheri Duncan
Mike McCullough Emily Goodland
Apprentice Guide Dog
Mobility Instructor and Orientation
and Mobility Instructor
Michal Anna Padilla
Licensed Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
and Orientation and Mobility Instructor
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 Note: Always call the school with any emergency regarding Guide Dogs of the Desert program dogs
760-329-6257
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P.O. Box 1692
Palm Springs, CA 92263
Guide Dogs of the Desert
Training Facility
60-735 Dillon Road,
Whitewater, CA 92282
Monday - Thursday
Please note our administrative offices are still closed on Fridays
8:30am - 4:30pm
Phone: 760-329-6257
Fax: 760-329-2866
Toll free: 888-883-0022
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News from Guide Dogs of the Desert
The White Water Guide Dogs of the Desert Lions club is always looking for new members.
Do you have ideas for fundraisers but need help? Looking for a terrific group to join? The White Water Guide Dogs of the Desert Lions Club is a fun and supportive way to give back to your community. Help plan and participate in events like the Santa Paws 5k Walk coming up in December. Or help pass out donation boxes to established businesses throughout the Coachella Valley.
The Lions Club meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at Guide Dogs of the Desert.
Call President Lion, Alan Franks at 760-861-8582 or email him at dssar2003@aol.com for more information.
___________________Believe it or not, the weather in the desert will be cooling off soon, and the season will be here shortly. That means a lot of
fun things to do that we are already preparing for.
One of them is our 7th annual Heroes Brunch!
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Trina's Tips
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Puppy Raiser's Corner
A Puppy Affair By Teri Hughes
 My husband Evan and I have been puppy raisers for about 3 years now. We started this entire adventure from a picture in a magazine about guide dogs. At the time we thought, "Oh, we can do this when we retire".
A little later, with Evan already retired and myself still working, I happened to meet a Guide Dogs of the Desert employee who informed me that they had more puppies than puppy raisers at the moment. I thought to myself, "Do I tell Evan or Not?" Of course I did.
When Vivian was introduced to us in our home, she chose us to be her raisers. Ever since we took her in, our lives have been changed for the better. We have met many great people both blind and sighted. Everybody involved with this program has such big hearts. This program has made us believers again that there really are good people in the world.
When we received Vivian, our first puppy, we had no idea that so many enjoyable functions came along with this program. We have a monthly meeting, which helps with raising and training. We have the opportunity to ask questions, and compare notes with seasoned puppy raisers. We go on monthly puppy excursions to different places that provide terrific experience for our puppies. We also have holiday parties, graduations and other special events throughout the year. All of the above is optional, however, once you go on your first outing, you'll find that you can't wait for the next one. You will discover you have a whole new social life with other raisers.
Many of us volunteer either at the school or doing presentations away from the campus. For example, Evan helps cleaning kennels at the campus once a week. If we are asked to help with presentations at schools, businesses or public events, we go if we are available.
Evan has become an unofficial 'car show coordinator'. We have always attended car shows, so we now make a day of it to help promote Guide Dogs of the Desert. With the dogs at our side, we answer questions and educate the general public about the program at Guide Dogs of the Desert. The most asked question is always, "How do you give them up"? We just tell them, "Its not about us, it's about changing someone's life". People also ask how they can help without becoming a puppy raiser. We let them know we gladly take donations and the school can always use volunteers for a number of different projects.
Three years later, we are now on our third puppy. We are very rare puppy raisers as we have yet to turn in any of our puppy's for formal training. The dogs we've raised have entered the breeding program. Guide Dogs of the desert breed their own dogs to ensure good health and temperament. Vivian, our first, has been chosen to be a Breeder for the program. She is still with us. Kater, our second, and Vivian's sister, was also chosen to be a breeder.
Julie is our current puppy in training. Without these essential breeder dogs, the puppy raising program would not exist at all, and ultimately no guide dogs for the blind clients that need them so much.
We foresee a long relationship with our extended family at Guide Dogs of the Desert. We plan to continue raising puppies in the future. Once you join the family, you won't want to leave it.
Teri & Evan Hughes
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Doctor Barkman Speaks
Dogs certainly smile.
But do they laugh? Researchers who use computer spectrograms to "see" sound, say that the huffing sound dogs make during play looks a lot like human laughter. On the monitor, dog laughter looks like "hee hee hee" without the h. ( Read about Patricia Simonet's study in Bark magazine.)
A friend of mine who uses a guide dog told me, "My dog would confidently guide me to the wrong hotel room door, always the one that was just before ours. I knew this was a joke and not pure naughtiness because she would wag her tail furiously and make a happy dog laughing-huffing sound, then take me to the correct door. She loved playing this game and would wag e  ven more furiously when we finally arrived at the correct room, as if to say,
"Wasn't that just the
funniest thing? |
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Earn money for Guide Dogs of the Desert
just by doing your normal shopping!
Goodswipe is a registered card program that allows you to earn donations for shopping offline at participating locations. You can earn up to 3% of your purchase at 50,000 locations (such as Gap, Regal Cinemas, Sears, Kmart, 7-Eleven, Taco Bell, and many others) simply by swiping your registered credit or debit card! Plink is certified by TRUSTe and the Better Business Bureau and works with Intuit (the makers of Quicken and Quickbooks) to protect and ensure your privacy.
You can get started with Goodswipe by signing up at www.goodsearch.com/goodswipe, registering your credit or debit card, and then making a purchase at one of 50,000 locations. You can expect a donation to be credited to your account and donated to your cause within five days of purchase. Get more information at the FAQ page. |
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