As a result of the My Dog is a Star campaign that ran in conjunction with the brand new Beverly Hills Dog Show Presented by Purina, Purina has donated $61,196 to Leader Dogs for the Blind. During the campaign, supporters were encouraged to share posts on social media about why their dog is a star and tag Purina, and the response was overwhelming.

Leader Dogs for the Blind leaves an impact on more than just their clients.

New intern at Leader Dog shares about her experience of sitting in on interviews with the clients and their dogs when they were asked the question, "How will having a Leader Dog impact your life?"

This April, you can help Leader Dogs for the Blind receive up to $75,000! As part of the brand new show The Beverly Hills Dog Show Presented by Purina, each social media post featuring the hashtag #BHDogShow and tagged with @Purina is worth $1 each.

Leader Dogs for the Blind is partnering with Wendy's franchisees Lisa and Howard O'Brien to raise funds in support of Leader Dog’s programs for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Simply donate $1 to Leader Dogs for the Blind and you will receive a $1 off coupon for a full-sized combo meal or salad on your next visit. This fundraising initiative will run throughout March at 39 Wendy’s locations.

Midwest Eye Consultants, P.C. and Leader Dogs for the Blind announced today a new sponsorship agreement making Midwest Eye Consultants, P.C. an official corporate partner of Leader Dogs for the Blind.

This agreement pairs Leader Dogs for the Blind, a nonprofit that empowers people who are blind or visually impaired, with Midwest Eye Consultants, who has a strong culture of giving back to their communities.

We are proud to announce that Leader Dog's own Director of Foundation Giving, Kathryn Tuck, has been awarded the Oakland County Executive Elite 40 under 40 award. This award recognizes dynamic leaders under the age of 40 who excel in their field and improve the quality of life in Oakland County. Kathryn is an accomplished thought leader in her field and this award not only highlights her work but also Leader Dog within the community. Kathryn was chosen from a pool of nearly 400 candidates by public vote. Congratulations, Kathryn!

I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) in my twenties. RP is an eye disease that causes the retina to slowly deteriorate. The light sensing cells called rods and cones begin to die off and leave you with tunnel vision, blind spots, night blindness and an overall diminished ability to see. Early on, the visual changes were subtle and sometimes I was unaware when I lost more vision in my peripheral fields. By the time I was 30 yrs. old, I could no longer drive. This called for making adjustments to a new way of living life without wheels!

Among my biggest challenges as I lost more vision was the ability to move about safely. I started doing some very annoying things like walking into doors, missing curbs, and bumping into people while in public. Sometimes funny things happened, like once I asked a mannequin for help in a store. Another time, I got so lost and turned around in a large public bathroom that someone had to help me find the door out. Awkward, right?

While you might not think that pets have much to do with fire safety, an astonishing 1,000 fires are started by pets each year, with another half-million pets are affected by home fires.

As dog lovers, here are our top tips to help prevent fires and to be prepared in the event of a fire:

I adored watching sunsets, scanning the sky for shooting stars and summer fireworks. Never did I consider these simple things would become only visual memories. In the fifth grade I began having problems with my vision. Two years earlier, my younger brother had been diagnosed with an inherited eye disease. The specialist told my parents to watch for signs of visual difficulties in their other three children. Both brother Chris and I were diagnosed with Stargardt disease. This rare inherited eye disease is a juvenile onset form of macular degeneration. Similar to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the resulting loss of central vision, they are two different diseases.

We could not read normal print, street signs or see the details of faces. We used magnifying machines, talking books and volunteer readers to help with homework. With the support of low vision professionals, visual aids and daily help from friends and family, my brother and I adjusted to having low vision.

Gracie and I have traveled to France, Italy, Toronto, Chicago, Wyoming, Colorado and annually to Florida over the last several years. We’ve been together through a lot.

But Gracie isn’t a human traveling companion – she’s my Leader Dog! As a Leader Dogs for the Blind client I’m forever grateful that Gracie has allowed me to be mobile and adventurous – the opportunities are endless.

Each trip is a little different but my packing checklist rarely changes. I thought I’d share some packing tips, whether you’re a Leader Dog client or not, if you’re considering bringing your dog along to your next trip.