Bucket List: Be a 'puppy raiser' for Guide Dog Foundation
Lisa Rossano with Jethro at 8 weeks old. Credit: Lisa Rossano
Lisa Rossano spends her days hanging out with Jethro, a 5-month-old yellow Labrador retriever.
But Jethro isn’t Rossano’s new dog. Instead, Rossano is a “puppy raiser” for the Guide Dog Foundation and America’s VetDogs of Smithtown — one of several volunteers who foster young dogs like Jethro until they begin formal training to prepare them for their roles as guide or service dogs for people who have disabilities, including people who are blind or have low vision.
“It’s probably one of the most rewarding things that I’ve done. . . . To see what they’ve accomplished, and what you’ve accomplished in yourself, teaching them,” said Rossano, 60, a part-time nanny who lives in Islip.
Bred at the Guide Dog Foundation, the puppies are sent out when they are 8 weeks old to live with volunteers who raise them until they reach about 1½ years old. Puppy raisers are expected to help build the dogs’ confidence and enable as much socialization as possible, said the organization’s puppy program manager, Lorin Bruzzese.
Puppy raisers get assistance from assigned puppy advisers. The dogs then return to the Smithtown headquarters, where they are trained for a 3- to 4- month period.
About half the dogs don’t graduate from the program and are offered back to their puppy raisers or to other organizations in the working dog industry. In addition to Jethro, Rossano — who has raised 12 guide dogs — currently has two who didn’t make the grade: Olympia and Mikey.
For those who do succeed — 32 guide dogs and 112 service dogs have been placed by the foundation in 2023 — their impact is immeasurable.
“Our dogs provide lots of companionship and support, but they’re also providing independence and assurance for their handler as they guide them and navigate through the world,” Bruzzese said.
Transitioning to life without the puppy is undoubtedly the hardest part of the process, according to Bruzzese.
“Puppy raising is so unique: It comes with a lot of love and then that challenge at the end, but it’s really rewarding and it is beyond meaningful to our program and the clients that we serve,” she said.
Commitment
- Socializing the dogs is key and volunteers must commit to at least five outings per week. These could include shopping or visiting family.
- Puppy raisers are expected to attend one to two classes each month, at one of about 15 different locations around the Island.
- A behavior report must be filled out every two months.
Cost
Two collars, a dog bowl, a crate and training tools are provided at no cost. Veterinarian visits and heartworm/flea and tick preventatives are paid for by the foundation. Puppy raisers must pay for dog food, which typically costs between $40 and $50 monthly.
Who is eligible
- Volunteers must be 18 or over, and can have children and other pets and work full-time.
- Exercise is essential for the dogs, so they need space to run in an enclosed yard or go out for daily walks.
- “We welcome people from any background or lifestyle,” Bruzzese said. To apply, visit www.guidedog.org/puppyraiserapplication#vaff
Letting Go
- Puppy raisers get a month’s notice before they must return the dogs, but the transition can be difficult. “I cry the whole way there and the whole way home when I drop them off,” Rossano said.
- After training is completed, the volunteers are invited to a graduation ceremony, where they are introduced to the dog’s new handler.
'A spark for them to escalate the fighting' A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report.
'A spark for them to escalate the fighting' A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report.
