23 years ago I took home a puppy to raise for Leader Dogs for the Blind. At that time I never expected to be taken on this journey. While raising Alley, a female yellow Labrador, I offered to volunteer at Leader Dog. This was before there was a formal volunteer program. By the time my year of raising was coming to a close I had been hired. Alley came back to me as a breeding stock dog to have 4 litters and 39 puppies in my home. While I moved my way from Kennel Care, Dog Procurement, and Puppy Development to my current role as Breeding Program Manager. We have watched Leader Dog transform from one of the largest guide dog schools in the US to a world leader in providing independent travel to visually impaired.
Through this growth our kennel building designed for the physical health of our dogs is not capable of keeping up with us. The new Canine Development Center will allow us the ability to maintain the physical health of our dogs while also letting them continue to develop mentally. We all know that it is harder to learn in a stressful situation. The new design will help us reduce the stress of daily living and allow our dogs to concentrate on learning new skills. From the breeding suite and puppy enrichment areas to the village design of the living areas for dogs in training we have looked at making the life of our dogs better.
This project will directly effect all I strive to create in my position. I am excited to begin our future and watch the fruition of many dreams. I hope that you will help make these dreams come true. Any donation, no matter how small, will help us get through the last stretch to finish the Canine Development Center. Come be a part of that dream.
For more information on the new Canine Development Center, please see the photo gallery and video below!
From the moment you arrive, you will see the Canine Development Center is designed to be the ideal environment. View these images to see the main changes during this project and discover the huge impact it will have on our dogs and clients.
The journey to becoming a Leader Dog starts at birth, which means the Canine Development Center was developed with our breeding stock and puppies in mind. Improvements include: A breeding area featuring separate housing for males and females, allowing them to remain relaxed prior to breeding. Also, there will be separation between puppies and breeding stock dogs, offering a more peaceful environment that helps protect young immune systems. They layout also allows for increased socialization and supervision and adjacent daytime and nighttime spaces to reduce the need to move puppies throughout the day (previously, puppies had to be carted to and from a converted garage).
Our esteemed team of veterinarians has the responsibility of caring for each and every one of our dogs. Every dog that enters this facility must be seen and monitored at the on-site veterinary clinic. As our operations have expanded and evolved, so has the need for an advanced, centrally located veterinary clinic so our veterinarians can give our future Leader Dogs the best care possible. With 35% more space, the clinic will allow us to add new and enhanced technology. Also, included is defined areas for X-ray, surgery, post-surgery recovery and endoscopic procedures to help with work flow.
At times the kennel environment can be stressful. To ease this stress, we redesigned our housing bays with an open concept that allows for ample stimulation and interaction. This includes suites that have open sight lines for every single dog. Plus, the 255 suites are 2.5 times larger than the current suites. Since we know dogs like to be around other dogs, up to 60% of the suites allow for cohabitation. It will also include a large, open area where the dogs can spend time with our volunteers and staff, allowing for even more human-dog interaction.