What if volunteer work could be gratifying, meaningful, and totally adorable? It’s paws-ible with Guide Dogs of the Desert!
The organization is in need of foster families for 10 puppies by August 2021. Were you interested in fostering but needed to wait because of summer vacation plans? You can still help!
By becoming a volunteer Puppy Raiser for Guide Dogs of the Desert, you’ll be an integral part of the process that helps people with a visual impairment find independence through the use of a Guide Dog. You’ll also spend 18 months with a smart, playful new friend.
The puppies are Labrador Retrievers and Standard Poodles, each between 8-12 weeks old when they are placed with a Puppy Raiser.
As a Puppy Raiser, your job is to help the dog learn about the world and interact with humans in a variety of situations. The puppy will remain in your home until they are 18 to 24 months old.
Guide Dogs of the Desert will be with you throughout the journey with in-person group training sessions, puppy raiser outings, and constant support. And when the puppy is old enough to be matched with their human — well, that’s when you change someone’s life.
The Coachella Valley-based Guide Dogs of the Desert is an accredited Guide Dog school and has been helping visually impaired students find independence and companionship through service dogs for almost 50 years.
Interested in raising a puppy? Contact Guide Dogs of the Desert at 760.329.6257,
e-mail puppyraisers@gddca.org, or visit gddca.org for more information and to fill out an application.
