Seeing Eye Pups Bring Smiles

Nothing melts the heart and brings smiles to students more than playful pups with soulful eyes trying their best to be polite. After all; they are just pups!

This was the scene on an October Tuesday morning inside the Lackland Center when Eleanor, a 1-year-old Lab-Golden cross, and Umpire, a 10-month-old German Shepherd held a meet and greet with students passing by. Eleanor and Umpire were accompanied by their puppy raisers, Linda Kabis of Green Township and Kristin Motta of Hackettstown.

Every semester therapy dogs come to campus to bring a little love and comfort. This visit was arranged by the Wellness Center and made possible by the Seeing Eye Puppy Club of Morris County, a group that supports puppy raisers and the pups who are on their way to becoming Seeing Eye dogs for the blind.

“Dogs are love and fun,” said Rosic Figueroa, a sophomore pre-vet major, who stopped by the puppy meet-and-greet. 

Eleanor and Umpire will be with their puppy raisers until they are about 18 months old. During this time, they learn basic obedience commands and are given opportunities to socialize at events such as this at Centenary, according to Kabis, who has fostered 33 Seeing Eye pups.

When the pups return to The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ, they complete a formal, four-month, in-harness training period, added Motta, who has fostered 30 Seeing Eye pups. Upon graduation from the training program, they are paired with a blind person and spend some time training together before setting off on their new life.

Even though each Seeing Eye dog represents a $50,000 to $60,000 investment, the cost to their blind companion is $1 for veterans and $150 for everyone else, according to Kabis.

“Anyone who likes dogs is sure to stop by for a quick hug,” said Jayclen Hall, a sophomore computer science major.