Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Southeastern Guide Dogs is in Sarasota too!

Typically this column talks about the goings on at Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Palmetto Campus. But this week, we wanted to turn the focus south to our Sarasota location.

September 2010 saw the expansion of Southeastern Guide Dogs into a new area: Sarasota.  Southeastern took over the building formerly inhabited by Scoop Management, where, unfortunately a number of locals were the victims of Art Nadal’s nefarious business practices.  And really, what better way to change the karma in a building than making it the home base of a non-profit? Southeastern Guide Dogs Sarasota Training Center and Dog Boutique now serves as a place where the general public can come and learn about guide dogs and the amazing work they do.  A new program is launching April 10th that will allow participants to “Shadow a Guide Dog Trainer.”  This fun, informative weekly workshop will explain the methods used to train guide dogs and …

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Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Florence Lundy: Supporting Guide Dogs for More Than 30 Years

Southeastern Guide Dogs is lucky to have an amazing base of loyal supporters, but few have been around as long as Florence Lundy.

Not many people can say that they have supported a cause as long as 96-year-old Florence Lundy. As a member of the now defunct Tropic Isles Mobile Home Park Arts & Crafts Club, Florence first learned of Southeastern Guide Dogs from another member of the club who talked everyone into coming to campus for a tour. The school, in its infancy, consisted of one building, a few staffers, and some dogs, but Florence and her fellow club members saw the impact a dog could have on someone’s life. When the Arts & Crafts Club disbanded, they had $400 in the club’s account that they decided to donate to Southeastern. Florence proudly keeps the cancelled check from 1983 as a reminder of their good deeds.  During the early days of the school, Southeastern…

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Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

One More Walkathon For Southeastern Guide Dogs

Two down, one to go – head to Vinoy Park in St. Pete for Southeastern Guide Dogs’ biggest fundraiser of the year!

Every year Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Walkathon draws supporters from all over the country.  Some are volunteers, some graduates, some sponsors and others just want to get out and walk with their best friend. Now, the final Walkathon of the season is upon us! Saturday, March 9, fans, supporters, donors, puppy raisers, graduates, and of course their dogs will converge on Vinoy Park to walk for a great cause.  Last year’s walk in St. Pete saw the biggest crowds in the 27-year history of Walkathon and hopes are that will be surpassed this year! The Walkathon was spread out over three weekends, with the first one kicked off on Feb. 23 in Bradenton's newly renovated Rossi Park. The Walkathon went back to its roots and was supported by more than 1…

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Leslie Rowe on behalf of ACT ~ Adult, Career and Technical Education, Manatee County Schools

12:22 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013

What a fabulous threesome of events!   more ›

PHOTOS: Southeastern Guide Dogs Payne Park Walkathon

Walkers and dogs braved the crisp temperatures and morning rain to raise money for the Southeastern Guide Dogs.

There were some wet noses in Payne Park Saturday, both from the rain and the dogs sniffing through the morning dew. The Southeastern Guide Dogs' annual walkathon fundraiser returned to Payne Park where the dogs led their owners on a walk around the park to raise funds for the non-profit organization. Missed both the Bradenton and Sarasota walks? You have one more chance next Saturday in St. Pete, where $10,000 will be given away. Prizes also include a cruise for two on Royal Caribbean, and an Apple iPad. Raffle tickets cost $5 each or 5 for $20 and are available in advance and at Vinoy Park. The winner will be drawn on March 9 at 11:30 am.   Saturday, March 9 Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Drive NE, St. Petersburg For more information, visit www…

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Dog Walkathon In Payne Park Is Saturday

Southeastern Guide Dogs' annual walkathon comes to Sarasota on March 2.

The dogs will be barking on Saturday in Payne Park—and that includes your feet, too. The Southeastern Guide Dogs' biggest fundraiser of the year returns to Sarasota on March 2 at Payne Park. "What sets us apart from other walks is that you can bring your dog to walk," Jennifer Bement, spokeswoman for Southeastern Guide Dogs, told Patch.  Though it may be too late to form a team, individual registration opportunities are still available for each of the walks. Registration costs $25, and you can pre-register online or register the day of the walk. (Online registration is closed for Sarasota.) You will receive a T-shirt plus a bandana for your dog with registration, too.  The Sarasota walk registration opens at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and opening …

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Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Southeastern Guide Dogs: Play to Your Strengths

Ever wonder what happens to the dogs that aren’t cut out to be guide dogs? Well, they have a “career change!”

It takes a dog with very specific characteristics and abilities to become a guide dog.  They must be intelligent, patient, hard-working, focused, loyal, meticulous, conscientious and sound. While all of these qualities are selectively bred into each of Southeastern Guide Dogs’ dogs, not every one of them ends up with the perfect balance of all traits.  So, if they aren’t quite right for the demanding work of being someone’s eyes, Southeastern finds a job for that dog that plays to their strengths and at which they can excel. Veteran Service Dogs A branch of Southeastern’s Paws for Patriot program trains Veteran Service Dogs that are specially trained to work with a veteran who is living with post traumatic stress and help to mitigate its …

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Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Breed All About It

With Westminster Kennel Club crowning a new king, we thought it time to tackle a question we are often asked: "Why don’t you get dogs from shelters to use as guide dogs?"

This week saw a cute little Affenpinscher named Banana Joe take the title as top dog at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.  It also saw Natalie Morales of NBC’s Today Show air a new PSA encouraging people to adopt a dog.  There are people who are passionate about breeding dogs and others who are even more passionate about rescuing dogs from shelters.  A question we are asked quite often is why do we breed dogs instead of getting them from shelters, so here’s why. We have been breeding dogs for the past 30 years and have developed a method to get the traits that make for successful guide dogs. These traits include excellent health, trainability, hardiness, and intelligence. That’s not to say you couldn’t find dogs with those traits in a …

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Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Make A Difference This Valentine’s Day

Looking for a unique gift for Valentine’s Day? How about independence and freedom?

It is estimated that Americans will spend approximately $18 billion, that’s BILLION, with a B, on Valentine’s Day this year.  While I admit, it is really nice to receive a beautiful bouquet of flowers, box of chocolates, and enjoy a nice night out, I'd like to see just what could be done if that $18 billion were used a different way.  With $18 billion, Southeastern Guide Dogs could breed, raise, train, place and provide follow-up care for 300,000 guide dog teams.  Or we could feed almost 50,000,000 dogs-in-training for a year. Or 5,100,000+ people could have puppies-in-training named after them.  Or we could purchase more than 60,000,000 guide dog harnesses and leashes.  Wow! To bring those numbers down to more feasible terms, the average …

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Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Graduate Profile: Jerry Wixson and Guide Dog Harley

This week another group of students graduated with their guide dogs. Here is just one of their stories.

Bradenton resident Jerry Wixson has done much in his life.  A veteran, who was part of the critical skills program, he also helped to build the interstate system in the U.s.. He is a husband of 55 years to his high school sweetheart, and a father of three daughters. Jerry has always had a positive outlook. When facing vision loss in 2000 due to retinitis pigmentosa, he quickly went through the stages of denial, anger, and acceptance to get right to doing something about it.  After completing orientation and mobility training at the Lighthouse, he next had his sights set on getting a guide dog. Now, all these years later, Jerry came back to Southeastern Guide Dogs for his second guide and was paired with a loveable black goldador (or as …

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Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Gearing up for a Trifecta of Walkathons

Southeastern Guide Dogs’ biggest fundraiser of the year is now bigger than ever!

Every year Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Walkathon draws supporters from all over the country.  Some are volunteers, some graduates, some sponsors and others just want to get out and walk with their best friend.  With its growing popularity this year’s Walkathon is actually happening over three weekends! February 23 sees the kick-off of the trifecta of Walkathons in Bradenton at the newly renovated Rossi Park.  Walkathon is going back to its roots and kicking off with the Bradenton contingent along the Manatee Riverfront. Next, Walkathon moves to Sarasota for its first walk at Payne Park on March 2.  Our friends from the south can enjoy all Walkathon has to offer while not having to venture too far from home. Finally, the Walkathon season …

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