A letter to the Seeing Eye

Hi Teresa,

Thank you for your wonderful email. The comment on Facebook was genuine. We hear a lot about how Seeing Eye Dogs change the lives of blind people (and they do... no doubt, we know plenty of grads!) But they also change the lives of the spouses and children of those blind people... and it really is a beautiful thing! I love my husband. I love him dearly... but the independence and confidence your "Otis" has given him? Well, it's second to none! He has a sense of confidence I've never seen before! He "offers" to go to the grocery store! Thanks to TSE's superior breeding, Otis is the nicest dog we've ever had. His intergration to our family has been so easy and he is such a good boy! So you see, yes, Otis has given Mike new independence... But Otis has affected ALL of our lives... He makes the play park accessable to my husband and our 6-year-old daughter... he gives Mike confidence and Otis welcomes me home from work (with that big, wet tongue) everyday... we all love him more than we anticipated...

Thank you, Theresa... to you, the breeders, the puppy raisers, the trainers... everyone who puts their hearts and souls into guide dogs. It's a sacrafice. There is not a guide dog user out there who doesn't realize that. Unless you live this life, it's difficult to appreciate the impact. Please know it's been a life-changing experience, not just for your graduate and his dog, but for his whole family. We are grateful.