Local volunteers raise puppies to change lives

A group of volunteers with Guide Dogs for the Blind took their puppies on a special outing Monday night. The puppies, between four and 14 months old, rode the Colorado Springs Mountain Metropolitan Transit Route 3 bus to Manitou Springs to walk around. The training exercise is meant to help the dogs get used to riding a bus and walking down a street filled with new sights, sounds, people and other dogs.

The puppy trainers train the dogs for the first 15 months of their lives. The dogs then go through more training at a Guide Dogs for the Blind school and are eventually matched with someone who is vision-impaired.

“Our job is to teach basic commands and socialize the dogs,” said Gina Cox, first-time puppy trainer and outing organizer. “They need to be socialized and exposed to all sorts of things and riding a bus would be something a blind person would do so we thought it would be a good experience for them.”

Cox said that she imagines saying goodbye to her puppy will be bittersweet, but she is excited to see who the dog will help.

“You obviously fall in love with them,” Cox said. “They live with you and you work with them, but you want to see them succeed.”

Once the puppy graduates from the school and is paired with someone who is blind, the puppy trainers have the opportunity to meet the pair.

Holly Niewinski has been training puppies since 1999. She is on her 15th trainee.

“When someone tells you that they can now let their 18-year-old daughter go off to college because of your dog, I mean, it’s incredible. It’s emotional,” Niewinski said.

To learn more about Guide Dogs for the Blind and to learn about volunteer opportunities, click here.