Ralph & Verna

“When we retired, we read in a newspaper article that The Seeing Eye was looking for people who would volunteer to raise a puppy.  We watched a puppy demo at the County Fair and spoke with an area coordinator.  We attended a few meetings of a puppy raiser club and soon knew that this was what we wanted to do. We worked with young people for 40 years and were delighted to experience young and old working together to raise puppies for The Seeing Eye. We are presently raising our sixth puppy and can honestly say that we have received as much as we have given. Daily walks, puppy outings, activities and demos have kept us healthy and fit. The puppies have enriched our lives and opened doors to new friendships. The most frequently asked question we hear is, "How can you give up a dog that you raised and love?" Our standard reply is, "We raised our children to serve others -- why not our dogs?"

- Ralph and Verna, 4H Puppy Power Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Club