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