A Look Inside The Seeing Eye: 900 Guests Attend First Open House in a Decade
On a rainy Saturday in September, over 900 families and individuals traveled to The Seeing Eye’s Morris Township campus for a rare event. For the privacy of the students who train with their new Seeing Eye dogs every month, the campus is typically closed to the public except for limited educational programs which are restricted to one area of the campus.
At the Open House, visitors had the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the entire campus, meet Seeing Eye dog handlers and puppy raisers, and speak with instructors. Forty Seeing Eye puppies were spread throughout the campus, eager to meet all the guests.
Presentations and educational information were available in stations throughout the facility. Seeing Eye Outreach Specialist Chelsea White and Seeing Eye Sr. Specialist, Advocacy & Government Relations Melissa Allman gave a talk about their experiences as Seeing Eye dog handlers, and advocating for the rights of people who are blind, as well as service dog handlers. In the Morris Frank room, visitors learned more about the history of the oldest existing guide dog school from displays and volunteers who work in The Seeing Eye’s archives.
The event received positive reviews from those who attended and enjoyed a unique chance to visit and learn more about the home of the State dog of New Jersey.
