GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND INC
371 E JERICHO TURNPIKE, SMITHTOWN, NY 11787 www.guidedog.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND, INC. PROVIDES GUIDE AND SERVICE DOGS FREE OF CHARGE TO PROVIDE INCREASED INDEPENDENCE, ENHANCED MOBILITY, AND COMPANIONSHIP TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND, VISUALLY IMPAIRED OR HAVE OTHER DISABLITIES. THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION OFFERS EXTENSIVE PUBLIC EDUCATION VEHICLES TO BROADEN SOCIETY'S UNDERSTANDING OF VISION, VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, BLINDNESS, OTHER DISABILITIES, AND DISABILITY RIGHTS.

TRAINING PROGRAM - OUR INSTRUCTORS COMPLETE A THREE YEAR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM BEFORE THEY BECOME CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS. DURING FY 2020, 165 DOGS BEGAN FORMAL TRAINING FOR PLACEMENT WITH A CONSUMER OF EITHER THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND, INC. OR ITS RELATED ORGANIZATION AMERICA'S VETDOGS -THE VETERAN'S K-9 CORPS, INC. THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION MANAGES AMERICA'S VETDOGS AND IS REIMBURSED FOR THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES TO AMERICA'S VETDOGS. FORMAL TRAINING TAKES APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS DURING WHICH TIME THE FOUNDATION CARES FOR ALL DOGS. DOGS ARE HOUSED ON CAMPUS IN STATE OF THE ART KENNELS IN THE DESIGNATED TRAINING CENTER. NOT EVERY DOG THAT ENTERS FORMAL TRAINING BECOMES A GUIDE OR SERVICE DOG. THE FOUNDATION CURRENTLY ESTIMATES A SUCCESS RATE OF 60%. AFTER COMPLETION OF FORMAL TRAINING, THE DOG IS READY TO BE TEAMED WITH A CONSUMER. THE CONSUMER OR STUDENT AND THEIR DOG ARE TRAINED TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM EITHER ON OUR CAMPUS, IN THE CONSUMER'S HOME COMMUNITY OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. THE PROCESS AND THE FOUNDATION'S COMMITMENT CONTINUES AFTER PLACEMENT WITH AFTERCARE, FOLLOW-UP, SUPPORT AND OUTREACH THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE DOG. THE CYCLE IS PERPETUAL, WITH EACH STAGE FINANCED 100% BY THE FOUNDATION.

BREEDING AND PUPPY PROGRAM - DURING FY 2020, THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTED 125 DOGS IN THE BREEDING COLONY. THE BREEDING COLONY IS CAREFULLY SELECTED AFTER EXTENSIVE SCREENING AND TESTING. DURING FY 2020, 447 PUPPIES WERE ADDED TO THE PROGRAMS OF THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION AND AMERICA'S VETDOGS. PUPPIES SPEND SEVEN TO EIGHT WEEKS IN OUR PUPPY NURSERY. FROM THE NURSERY THEY SPEND APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR IN THE HOME OF A VOLUNTEER PUPPY RAISER OR PRISON PUPPY PROGRAM BEFORE COMING BACK TO THE FOUNDATION FOR FORMAL TRAINING. DURING FY 2020 A TOTAL OF 447 PUPPIES WERE PLACED. 351 PUPPIES WERE PLACED IN PUPPY RAISER HOMES AND 96 PUPPIES PARTICIPATED IN OUR PRISON PUPPY PROGRAM. IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF FY 20, DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS, THE PRISONS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED THE PRISON PUPPY PROGRAMS AND ALL PUPPIES NEEDED TO TRANSFER OUT. OUR WEEKEND VOLUNTEER PUPPY RAISERS HOUSED AND CARED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DOGS IN THE PRISON PROGRAM. IN SOME INSTANCES OTHER VOLUNTEER RAISERS WERE DEPLOYED AND ALL PUPPIES CARED FOR DURING THE PANDEMIC RESTRICTION SHUT DOWN. THE FOUNDATION CURRENTLY SUPPORTS PUPPY RAISERS IN NEARLY 20 STATES AND HAS AGREMENTS WITH 13 PRISONS IN MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, FLORIDA, CONNECTICUT, MAINE AND PENNSYLVANIA. DURING THE TIME THE PUPPIES ARE IN PUPPY RAISER HOMES, WE SUPPORT THE VOLUNTEER FAMILY THROUGH CONSTANT OUTREACH, COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING. WE BRING OUR VOLUNTEER REGIONAL PUPPY RAISER COORDINATORS ON CAMPUS FOR TRAINING AND SUPPORT THAT THEY CAN SHARE WITH THEIR LOCAL REGIONALLY BASED PUPPY RAISING FAMILIES. OUR PROFESSIONAL PUPPY STAFF SUPPORTS OUR PUPPY RAISING VOLUNTEERS AND OUR STAFF TYPICALLY VISITS EACH PRISON WEEKLY TO FOLLOW UP AND TRAIN THE INMATE HANDLERS WHO ARE CAREFULLY SCREENED TO INSURE THEY ARE SUITABLE CANDIDATES TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.

PUBLIC EDUCATION - PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ARE IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE MISSION OF GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND. THE FOUNDATION PARTNERED WITH THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS AND RAISED GUIDE DOG RADAR AND DEMONSTRATED VARIOUS SKILLS A GUIDE DOG CAN PROVIDE. THIS PAST YEAR, THREE ISSUES OF THE GUIDEWAY WERE DISTRIBUTED TO OVER 52,500 RECIPIENTS. THE GUIDEWAY IS THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT GUIDE DOGS, GUIDE DOG ETIQUETTE, AND DISABILITY ISSUES. PRIOR TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, THE FOUNDATION HOSTED 70 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS. THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION HAS EMBRACED SOCIAL MEDIA AS A MEANS TO REACH OUR SUPPORTERS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. WE CURRENTLY HAVE NEARLY 31,200 LIKES ON FACEBOOK AND OVER 4,500 FOLLOWERS ON TWITTER. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE ANOTHER 42,600 FOLLOWERS THROUGH YOUTUBE, LINKEDIN AND INSTAGRAM.

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