Guiding Paws of the Palouse
Labor of Love
The Guiding Paws of the Palouse is a club at Washington State University run by volunteers who raise puppies to become guide dogs for the visually impaired. The members of the club raise the puppies starting at 8-12 weeks old, and during their time with them they teach them basic obedience and socialize them. When the puppies reach 14-18 months, they go to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Headquarters and finish their formal training to become official guide dogs.
On April 7, 2018, the Guiding Paws of the Palouse hosted their 4th annual Blindfold Brunch at the Chinook Student Center. All proceeds benefitted the club, and it also provided members of the Pullman community the opportunity to gain insight to the daily life of one with a visual impairment. This club is an exceptional example of labor of love. The members voluntarily work with the animals, knowing that one day they will no longer belong to them but instead train them to become the best partner for someone who needs them most.
These photos were captured while the members were setting up for the brunch and preparing for attendees to arrive.
The brunch was held from 10am to 1:30pm on April 7th, and was catered by Happy Day Catering.
All of the puppies waited patiently for the brunch to start.
The club also made totes and t-shirts to sell at the brunch.
Each table inside the brunch had different activities and questionnaires that brought light into what one with visual impairment experiences on a daily basis.
The Chinook Student Center was the perfect space to host the brunch, providing plenty of room for visitors to enjoy their time.
The guide dogs can often be seen around campus with a similar vest on such as this one, showing others that they are on duty.
It is also important that the puppies get accustomed to wearing a handle harness such as this one, for that is often how they will lead their future owners.
Each year the club has a speaker present at the brunch. This year's speaker was Nicole Schultz-Kass and her guide dog Figaro.
The club also sold bows at the brunch.
Modeling the bow.
During the time that the members of the club have the puppies, they teach them basic obedience, polite behavior, and socialization skills.
The members of the club were wearing these shirts, so they were easily identifiable to those attending the brunch.