Friday is the Last Day to Donate Online for Guide Dogs

Regular readers know that I've already written several posts these past few weeks about National Guide Dog Month. The past few weeks we've been actively fund-raising across more than 1,000 Petco's and local pet stores nationwide. Our goal is to raise $1 million dollars, but we're still shy of that goal and need your help for one last push. If you have not already made a donation, you can still donate online through tomorrow, Friday September 24th. Its fast and easy, just click here to donate. As little as $1, $5, $10, $20 or more will really make a difference. Please consider posting this on your own blog, as we need to get the word out that Friday is the final day to donate.

Nicollette Sheridan for Guide Dog Month

Want to learn more? Well read on:
Guide Dogs improve the lives of the blind by creating opportunities for life-changing independence. They provide safe mobility, loving companionship and truly the miracle of independence to the visually impaired through the use of a guide dog.

• Every 7 minutes, someone in America becomes blind or visually impaired.
• 13% of our active military return from war with eye injuries.

For many, blindness means being shut off from society, stuck at home, or moving about with a walking stick, tapping ahead to find a clear path in the darkness.  

Guide Dogs can literally change the life of a blind person, restoring confidence, providing freedom to return to work, and resume a normal routine that those of us who are sighted take for granted every day. Check out this message from our spokesperson, actress Nicollette Sheridan and Dick Van Patten:


OK NOW PLEASE DONATE SOMETHING CLICK HERE.
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Meet Mason the Poodle Guide Dog

Meet 'Mason' a standard poodle guide dog from the Guide Dogs of the Desert. Mason is a guide dog ambassador who has been very busy lately. Mason has been out visiting Petco stores to help raise awareness of National Guide Dog Month. Being the smart poodle he is, Mason knows that it takes two years and costs more than $40,000 to train a single guide dog. I've written about guide dogs before, for more details, check out this prior post. My employer, Natural Balance Pet Foods has teamed up with Petco to raise $1 million this month for accredited guide dog schools across the United States. You can donate at any Petco store today or online at www.petco.com/naturalbalance through September 24th. Donations are a little behind where we would like them to be, so we need a last push to get the word out. That's why 'Mason' is out visiting stores. Help me spread the word. You can donate any amount $1, $5, $10, $20 online, it is fast and easy. Thanks for your help.
-Rick Rockhill
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YOU Can Make A Difference This Weekend

We're smack in the middle of the National Guide Dog Month fundraiser and still need to get the word out about donations. For those of you who have already made a donation, THANK YOU. Our goal is to raise $1 million and we're only half way there. The next 10 days will be critical in reaching that goal. You can donate in two ways: 1. Go to any Petco store and donate at the registers or 2. Donate online right now, just click here its fast and easy to do. You can donate $1, $5, $10, $20 or any amount to help provide guide dogs to the blind. In this photo above, I'm with "Mango" a guide dog puppy-in-training from the Guide Dogs of the Desert in Palm Springs. If you have not seen it yet, check out this video of me with Natalie from Petco about Guide Dogs.

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Why More Guide Dogs are Needed

I mentioned in a prior post that September is National Guide Dog Month, and that I would be blogging regularly about it over the next few weeks. We're trying to raise one million dollars this month to help provide more guide dogs to people who cannot see.There are over 20 million people in the US alone with some kind of visual impairment. Being legally blind shouldn't mean a person has to move in fear, hoping not to stumble. The leading causes of blindness are cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration & diabetic retinopathy. In addition, 13% of our active military return home from war with eye injuries. Despite all this, only a very small percentage of legally blind people ever get a guide dog. Thankfully there are several accredited guide dog schools around the country who provide guide dogs to the blind for FREE. I've been involved with a local school here in the Palm Springs area, Guide Dogs of the Desert. They place guide dogs all over the country, although primarily within the South west region of the US. I visited their facility a few weeks ago to see the latest guide dog puppies, ready to be placed in the home of a volunteer puppy raiser for 18 months. Then they are returned to the guide dog school for formal guide dog training. I cannot imagine giving up a puppy after raising it like my own pet. I have such respect for the puppy raisers who can do that. I'd like to share this incredible video with you about guide dogs. It is 7 minutes, so settle in with a nice cup of cawfee and enjoy it. It's well worth your time to watch. 

If you would like to help and make a donation in any amount ($1, $5, $10, $20...) just go to www.petco.com/naturalbalance to donate online. Its fast and easy. Please consider helping today. I'd really appreciate it if you would also consider posting a link on your own blog to this post so that others can see this video. I need help to get the word out quickly so we can reach our million dollar fund raising goal this month.

-Rick Rockhill
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National Guide Dog Month Fundraiser Starts Today!

Today is the official kick off of National Guide Dog Month. Many of you know I work for Natural Balance Pet Foods, who sponsors this fundraiser. This year our goal is to raise $1 million dollars during the month of September. Guide Dogs improve the lives of the blind by creating opportunities for life-changing independence. They provide safe mobility, loving companionship and truly the miracle of independence to the visually impaired through the use of a guide dog.

• Did you know that every 7 minutes, someone in America becomes blind or visually impaired?
• Did you know that 13% of our active military return from war with eye injuries?

For many, blindness means being shut off from society, stuck at home, or moving about with a walking stick, tapping ahead to find a clear path in the darkness.  

Guide Dogs can literally change the life of a blind person, restoring confidence, providing freedom to return to work, and resume a normal routine that those of us who are sighted take for granted every day.  

During the month of September you can make a donation at any Petco store, or local independent pet retailer where Natural Balance Pet Foods are available. Simply make a donation at the register when you check out. You can also purchase specially marked bags of Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice in 28lb bags, where $1 per bag will be donated to this cause. 
If you prefer, you can also donate online from the convenience of your own home. Go to www.petco.com/naturalbalance and make a donation in any amount TODAY, Thank you!

Jimmy and Dick Van Patten with Nicollette Sheridan, and "Ally" guide dog puppy in training. Visit www.petco.com for a special video message from Ms Sheridan about National Guide Dog Month.

-Rick Rockhill

Preview to National Guide Dog Month

What does actress Nicollette Sheridan have in common with Dick and Jimmy Van Patten? Well, they all love animals and have joined forces in a campaign to raise $1 million in support of guide dogs for the visually impaired. September is National Guide Dog Month, but STARTING TODAY, you can donate ONLINE by going to www.petco.com/naturalbalance. If we get one million people to just donate $1 each, we'll hit our goal. I'll be blogging quite a bit about guide dogs over the next few weeks, and I hope to inspire you to make a donation, in any amount. Its fast. Its easy. Help a blind person get a guide dog and have their independence back. Check out this message from Nicollette Sheridan, with Dick Van Patten:

Please consider making a donation online RIGHT NOW: go to www.petco.com/naturalbalance

Make A Difference for Someone Visually Impaired

HEY, READ BELOW FOR INFO ON A SWEEPSTAKES TO WIN FREE JEWELRY!
Regular readers of this blog may recall that May is National Guide Dog Month. Paula Abdul is the spokesperson to help us raise awareness for this fundraiser to help non-profit, accredited Guide Dog Schools across America. Since May is drawing to a close, there are just a few days left to this fundraiser, and we're hoping for a surge in donations before the month ends. I'm asking everyone to consider making a donation in any amount if possible. You can donate online, or visit any Pet Co store to donate at the register. To help us generate interest in this fundraiser, Paula Abdul has generously provided a prize package from her new jewelry collection. It is free to enter the sweepstakes, just click here and look for this same image of Paula Abdul to sign up. While you are there, you can easily make a quick donation online!

above: Don't you just love this photo of Dick Van Patten and Paula Abdul together with the guide dog?

If my own words didn't convince you, check out this brief video message from Paula Abdul and Dick Van Patten about National Guide Dog month. I hope you will make a donation in any amount. At the very least, go ahead and enter the sweepstakes for the free jewelry from Paula Abdul's new collection! Help us place more guide dogs to the visually impaired and change someones life.

Thanks for your help

-Rick Rockhill

May is National Guide Dog Month

For regular readers, I did warn you that I would be blogging a lot about guide dogs, after all, May is National Guide Dog Month. Today seemed like a good day to write another post about this fundraising effort. Keep in mind that 100% of the money raised will go directly to accredited, non-profit guide dog schools across the country. My company has teamed up with American Idol judge Paula Abdul and Dick Van Patten to raise awareness and money to support guide dog schools. (In this photo above left are Dick Van Patten, Paula Abdul and Jimmy Van Patten, with two guide dogs). There are three easy ways you can help:
1) Visit any Pet Co store and make a donation at the register in any amount.
2) Make a donation online in any amount- it's easy enough to do right now in fact!
3) Buy any specially marked bag of Natural Balance dog food with a sticker of Paula Abdul on it, and 50 cents for each bag sold goes to the guide dog schools.
Check out this video of Paula Abdul and Dick Van Patten about this Guide Dog fundraiser:

If you can't view the YouTube video above, try this blogger version below:

Thanks for watching these videos. Please take a moment to check out this info and make a donation, even just $5 would help.

-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Facts About Guide Dogs

If you happened to see yesterday's Philatelic Friday post, you would have learned that May is National Guide Dog Month. I've been quite involved in developing a fundraising program to benefit Guide Dog Schools around the country, including our very own school right here in Palm Springs, The Guide Dogs of the Desert. As an animal lover I am touched by service dogs, and watching guide dogs working is truly an inspiration. I thought it would be appropriate to make that the theme of this week's scintillating edition of The Saturday Seven: Facts About Guide Dogs. This photo above left is of singer and American Idol judge Paula Abdul, the spokesperson for National Guide Dog Month. She wore a blindfold to experience the sudden loss of sight and used a guide dog to assist her in walking. She is helping raise awareness about the need to train and provide more guide dogs to people who are visually impaired or blind. Here are the Saturday Seven Facts About Guide Dogs:

#1 Almost Two Years: The amount of time it takes to train a dog from a puppy to adult to become a guide dog

#2 $40,000: The amount of money it takes to train and place just one guide dog

#3 One Month: the amount of time a person who is visually impaired spends training with a potential guide dog before they are paired together.

#4 No Petting: When you see a person with a guide dog, never pet, feed or distract a Guide Dog. They are not pets, they are working companions on whom the blind person depends on to guide them safely.

#5 100%: The amount of cost a puppy raiser volunteer covers of the cost to raise a guide dog puppy (food, toys, treats, veterinary care, etc).

#6 Zero: The amount it costs a person who is blind or visually impaired to get a guide dog. The costs are covered by fundraising, donations and by the puppy raisers.

#7 Seven minutes: Every 7 minutes someone in America becomes legally blind or visually impaired

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at a Guide Dog school, or perhaps becoming a puppy raiser, contact your local Guide Dog school. Thanks for stopping by this week's edition of The Saturday Seven.

-Rick Rockhill

Philatelic Friday: Stamps about Guide Dogs

Today is May 1st, the start of National Guide Dog Month. It's a perfect topic for my weekly Philatelic Friday series. Since I am resourceful and persistent, I managed to dig up a series of postage stamps from around the world about Guide Dogs! Can you image the luck? I should take this time to disclose that I worked with my company and one of our vendors to plan a month-long fundraiser in all of our stores and online for Guide Dog schools nationwide. You'll hear more about it on this blog for the next few weeks, so I apologize in advance if I blog about it too much. The exciting part is that American Idol judge and singer Paula Abdul is our spokesperson for National Guide Dog Month. If you want to see a nifty video of Paula Abdul about this, click here. But for today, I present this week's installment of Philatelic Friday: Stamps About Guide Dogs. The first one above left is from Ireland. Enjoy the rest:

above: UK Guide Dog stamp

above: another UK Guide Dog stamp

above: Netherlands Guide Dogs

above: USA Guide Dog stamp

above: Canada Guide Dog stamp
Thanks for stopping by this week's installment of Philatelic Friday featuring Guide Dog stamps! Don't forget to check out that cool Paula Abdul Guide Dog video

-Rick Rockhill