Syracuse University recently published an article about the training and development of guide dogs (specifically guide dog puppies) on campus, and how they’re helping visually impaired students. The article, excerpted below, appeared in the Campus & Community section of the Syracuse University News site.

Raising Guide Dog Puppies on Campus

How Students Are Helping Make a Difference for the Blind

Christine Grabowski, Syracuse University News

Have you met Tarzan or Juan yet on campus? These latest members of the University community are hard to miss, with their friendly dispositions, shiny coats and wagging tails.

Tarzan, a one-year-old black lab, and Juan, a four-month-old yellow lab, are puppies being raised by good friends Arianna Kuhn ’25 and Megan Panny ’25 for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit organization that trains and cares for guide dogs for people with vision loss.

Kuhn, a biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Panny, a dual degree English major in the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education, became involved through outreach being done on campus by Mary Oonk, the organization’s local volunteer region co-coordinator.

Headquartered in Yorktown Heights, New York, Guiding Eyes for the Blind has puppy raisers along the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to North Carolina, including in Central New York. Founded in 1954, the organization, with more than 1,700 volunteers, provides all of their services free of charge.

Kuhn was interested in the organization after reading about its mission. “I am passionate about giving back to the community and wanted to have a positive impact on an individual that would benefit from the services of Guiding Eyes,” she says. “In addition to the opportunity to volunteer, the chance to combine my devotion to helping others and my love for dogs drew me to want to take part in this experience.”

Panny wanted to get involved after seeing the impact it had on people’s lives firsthand. “My hometown is near the Guiding Eyes for the Blind headquarters, which has given me the ability to see how the program works throughout my life,” Panny says. “When I saw the opportunity to be involved through Syracuse University, it was one I was excited about. This program has allowed me to help others while also fulfilling the love I have for animals.”

Read the remainder of the article in its entirety here.

Visit the Guiding Eyes for the Blind website, or connect with Oonk and the local chapter by email: [email protected]. Check out the puppies and their Facebook page.

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