Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc.

For the past nine years, I have had the privilege to be accompanied by an intelligent and loving Labrador nearly everywhere I venture--my guide dog, Buddy.
Buddy has been by my side through the little moments and glistening milestones that form a life. Together, we have navigated the city, traveled to Boston, gone on planes, ferries and horse and carriage rides. Shortly after I trained with Buddy, I participated in several internships. Buddy patiently snoozed under my desk while I clattered away on my keyboard. I would often reach down and pet Buddy when I needed a break or couldn’t flesh out an idea. When I attended graduate school in the city, he steadfastly guided me through open spaces, crowded streets and brought joy to my classmates and me. After graduate school, he meticulously guided me through the bustling hallways of a community college where I taught English and snored through my first lessons on grammar to less than eager freshman. When I got married, Buddy and my dad walked me down the aisle. During the ceremony, Buddy decided that my wedding dress was his dog bed for the day.
Currently, I teach adaptive technology. Buddy guides me safely through the halls at my job. He also sparks conversation and interest in guide dogs from my students. Not only does he show people what guide dogs can do, but he is a great comfort to those who may be far away from their beloved dogs.

Buddy has helped me develop confidence to explore and to try new things.
Soon after I got Buddy, my now husband and I were in the city for a day. We had just done some shopping in a department store thronged with people. The store was a maze of clothing, and it was enormous. We were looking for the door outside. I had a vague idea of where it was, but felt a little anxious about how we would find it. Suddenly, my lips curved into a smile. “I think I can do this, I said. I encouraged Buddy to find the door outside. I will never forget the feeling of him weaving me in and out of people and around obstacles, and directly to the door, his tail gently swishing through the air.
Because of Buddy, a simple act of finding the door wasn’t an obstacle. I didn’t need to awkwardly ask for assistance, or wander in countless directions.
Another fond memory of Buddy guiding me occurred shortly after I partnered with him. My mom and I were doing some grocery shopping. Buddy and I were walking ahead of my mom. We came to the curb and I was ready to cross. I gave Buddy the forward command, and we were just about to cross the street when an unexpected and very quiet car came in our direction.
Buddy practiced intelligent disobedience by not obeying my forward command. He saw that there was a car coming that I had not heard.
My mother was amazed at what Buddy had done, she had barely realized the car was coming.
While a moment like this certainly makes an impact on me 'as a guide dog handler, to me the real beauty in our partnership is made up of the little moments
in our day-to-day lives. Buddy guiding me down a hall to meet a student, or guiding me through a crowded street.
Buddy's loyalty and personality shine through even when he is not guiding me. One endearing memory that comes to mind is when I was trying on wedding dresses:
I asked my mom to hold buddy's leash while I went into the cramped dressing room. As I was trying on the dress, I heard crying outside the door. Buddy
was so upset that he could not see me that he whined until I came back out to him.
Buddy hasn’t given me confidence; he has helped me grow it. Teamwork has enabled us to move forward in life together. Together, we’ve tackled New York City, internships and jobs, explored new places and befriended new people.
Buddy has given tirelessly and selflessly over the years. He will be eleven this September, and he deserves a rest after all of his hard work. Buddy received his guide dog training from the Guide Dog Foundation in SmithTown, New York. It costs approximately $60000 to train a guide dog. However, blind and visually impaired consumers are provided with a guide dog at no cost to them. Over time, I would love to raise $6000 towards the training of a guide dog. While this is not the entire cost of training a dog, it allows an individual, or group, to “sponsor” a dog and name him. I hope to sponsor another dog named Buddy so that others might have the opportunity to feel the joy of gliding through a crowded shopping mall, to walk down the street, and not worry about snagging sidewalk furniture with their cane, to sit at their desk, and feel the soft head of a dog nuzzle their hand, to navigate the valleys and mountains of life with a guide dog by their side.
Any donation is greatly appreciated. None of us lives without the help or support of another being; we all contribute to each other’s stories in some way. Thank you for reading ours, and for contributing to the tale of another guide dog partnership.
With Infinite gratitude,
Megan

Guide Dog Foundation Eight years ago, the Mount Sinai community came together to raise money to sponsor a guide dog.  Our puppy, "Mustang," was born and raised right here in Mount Sinai.  Mustang was eventually given to a wounded veteran from the Gulf War.  Since that time, the need for guide and service dogs has increased tremendously.  It's time to do it again.  This fundraiser is a combined effort between all three schools in our district.  Once again, we hope to raise enough money to fully sponsor a puppy.  We are hoping our puppy will be born again right here in our community.  We would then allow the students to vote on a name.  If we are lucky, maybe we could once again have a Mount Sinai family take on the role of raising the puppy until it is ready to be trained at the Guide Dog Foundation , which is also home to America's VetDogs, and The Veteran's K-9 Corps.  Thank you for your donation!