Guide Dogs for the Blind

It was founded in 1942 by Lois Merrihew and Don Donaldson[2] to help veterans who had been blinded in World War II.

The first dog to graduate through the program was a rescued German Shepherd named Blondie; she was paired with Sgt.

[3] In 1947, the organization moved to their current location in San Rafael, California and in 1995 started a program at a second campus in Boring, Oregon.

Guide Dogs for the Blind also participates in an international program in which guide dogs schools from around the world work together to diversify the gene pool in the breeding colonies by providing puppies from high success parents to other schools.

These volunteers sign up to receive a puppy who is about eight weeks old and will take care of, train, and socialize their dog until they are about 13-15 months old.

The puppy raising program currently exists in the following states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.).

This 8 phase program typically lasts two to three months and if a dog passes their final walk with a blindfolded trainer they are considered "class ready."

If a child goes through the K9 Buddy program they are qualified to receive a guide dog at an earlier age.

Adoption is only open to those individuals living in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and North Texas.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (or GDB) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization supported entirely by private donations.