FB pixel

dog volunteer

Black lab puppy lying on floor and sleeping with a cloud graphic near its head. In the cloud is a black lab in Leader Dog harness walking with a person in a dark winter coat down a sidewalk

To make puppy raising accessible to people with all different kinds of lifestyles, we created more options that let you choose new ways to volunteer!

On Saturday, December 9, join us on Leader Dog’s campus for a fun, free open house-style event to discover more about the new puppy raiser options! This interactive experience will give attendees the opportunity to explore the updated program and find out more from staff and current volunteers.

Whether you’re a current puppy raiser, you raised in the past, or you want to introduce someone to puppy raising for the first time, this unique experience will answer all your questions!

The event will be held from 3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. on Leader Dog’s campus at 1039 S. Rochester Rd., Rochester Hills, MI. Please RSVP if you’re planning to attend.

RSVP

Name(Required)
Email(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Afterward, join us for Light Up Leader Dog!

Light Up Leader Dog guests will have the opportunity to browse through the marketplace, partake in some warm, winter beverages and tasty food from onsite vendors, enjoy the sounds of the holiday, walk the paths of luminaries, and view the Leader Dog campus all lit up!

Light Up Leader Dog starts right when the new puppy raising options event ends, and it will continue till 8 p.m.

We can’t wait to welcome you to campus!

Three lab puppies, one black, one chocolate and one yellow, stand facing forward. All are wearing blue Future Leader Dog bandannas.We offer orientation sessions for people interested in raising a puppy who would like to find out more about this volunteer opportunity. The sessions are held virtually on the first Wednesday of every month from 5 to 7 p.m. If you are interested in exploring the world of becoming a puppy raiser, join us for an upcoming session! These informational sessions are a great way to get all your questions answered by the team who supports this volunteer role.

Sign up for the orientation:

Name(Required)
Info sessions are typically the 1st Wednesday of every month. Dates through the end of 2024 are listed.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Black lab in blue Leader Dog Mom bandana lies in grass with plants behind

We offer orientation sessions for people interested in hosting a breeding dog who would like to find out more about this volunteer opportunity. The sessions are held virtually on the third Wednesday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. If you are interested in exploring the world of becoming a breeding host, join us for an upcoming session! These informational sessions are a great way to get all your questions answered by the team who supports this volunteer role.

Sign up for the orientation:

Name(Required)
Info sessions are typically the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Session dates through the end of 2024 are listed.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

I started volunteering with Leader Dogs for the Blind in fall of 2022. As an Oakland County native, I surprisingly didn’t know about Leader Dog growing up. My first exposure was a few years ago when I was living in Chicago and my roommate (also from Oakland County) got a career changed dog from Leader Dogs for the Blind. Her name is Parker—she’s a yellow lab mix and she was (and still is!) one of the sweetest girls ever!

Olivia smiles in a selfie with a yellow lab lying its head on her chest
Parker and me

In the coming years, I learned about other guide dog programs on documentaries like “Pick of the Litter” and “Dogs.” These shows provided a perspective I had never seen before when it comes to the guide dog community. I was so moved by the way that a guide dog could enrich someone’s life and provide them with so much freedom and independence. It was beautiful to hear the perspectives of the clients, and I was really touched by the support that these guide dog programs provided.

Olivia crouching on dirt path with trees in the background. She is kissing an Australian cattle dog sitting next to her.Just before the pandemic, my now husband and I got our first dog, Milo, an Australian cattle dog mix. Milo is a working breed, and he impresses me every day with his energy, his willingness to learn, and his big brain. It wasn’t until we got Milo that I truly realized the profound impact that being a dog owner can have on someone. Our dog’s ability to pick up on our emotions and to bring so much joy into our lives never ceases to amaze me! We adopted another dog, Daisy (beagle mix!), in 2022 and our lives were changed for the better once again.

I moved back to Ferndale from Chicago in the fall of 2021 and was (and still am) working from home full-time. While the flexibility is wonderful, I found that I was looking for some additional fulfillment outside of the workspace. In my search, I came across Leader Dogs for the Blind, and I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of Leader Dog’s amazing mission.

Olivia's torso and legs are visible, covered in yellow dog hair, and a yellow lab is wagging its tail near her legs. She is seated and the camera is looking down.I now volunteer with the breeding dogs, and I absolutely love it. I feel so honored to play even a small role in the journey to get clients the guide dogs that they need. I love all the dogs—the playful ones, the chill ones, the excited ones, the slobbery ones, and the adorable ones (okay, they’re all adorable). I usually only spend time with the older dogs, but recently got to help feed the Future Leader Dog puppies on my shift—what a highlight!

I may sometimes leave covered head to toe in fur and my dogs may sniff me for 30 minutes every time I come home from a shift, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Overall, I’m very thankful to be a part of Leader Dogs for the Blind and look forward to continuing to support their amazing mission!

Smiling woman in blue t-shirt with Bark & Brew logo and jeans standing next to black lab with blue sky in background

National Volunteer Week was established by Presidential Proclamation in 1974 to bring focus to the millions of individuals who freely give their time and talents to better their community. Later, the week of appreciation was expanded to include the entire month of April. And now, in April each year the whole world recognizes Global Volunteer Month.

Here at Leader Dogs for the Blind, it’s an important time of year for us as we stop to take a moment to formally express our appreciation to all the volunteers who make our organization succeed. Did you know Leader Dog has around 800 volunteers? That’s over five times the number of staff!

Our dedicated volunteers allow us to maximize the impact of our resources and focus on the core parts of the Leader Dog mission. We depend on them for all facets of the work we do. We frequently say, “We couldn’t do it without you” to our volunteers, and we mean that quite literally! The simple acts of kindness and generosity that volunteers give keep us going.

A man in a tan sweatshirt and jeans sits in a yellow plastic chair holding a young yellow lab puppy in his lap. The puppy is licking its nose as the man looks down at it.Leader Dog volunteers actively, joyfully and with purpose participate in every aspect of our operations. At times, some of the work is messy, smelly or repetitive, but volunteers never shy away. They roll up their sleeves and get the job done. When asked to take on a new role or help solve a new challenge, they always step up. Leader Dogs for the Blind volunteers are a special “breed” indeed.

So, during this special month we say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the Leader Dogs for the Blind volunteers. Thank you for sharing your time and special talents with us. Thank you for supporting our mission. Know that we appreciate everything that you do and are proud to have you on our team.

A black lab lies on a blanket in a whelping box with several newborn black lab puppies nursing

By Gary Lewandowski

On April 24, 2019, Leader Dog Mom “Trinket” officially became a “Retired Leader Dog Mom!”

She gave the Leader Dog organization four great litters, all so very different but all just fantastic little individual Future Leader Dogs! Some have already gone on to become guide dogs while others have settled into a great life with loving families as career changed dogs, while others are with their puppy raisers or undergoing training now at Leader Dog!

A very young black lab puppy sits in a sink. It is all wet and looking at the cameraThe experience has taught my wife Lori and I patience, and more especially a real appreciation for the miracle of birth and how amazing the natural instincts of these remarkable dogs are.

Being a host family is a lot of work, and yes, there were a couple heartbreaks along the way, which comes with doing this, but weighed against the rewards and the satisfaction of knowing that the efforts can and will make a strong and positive change in someone’s life make the experience invaluable.

The good far outweighed the bad for sure!

So now OUR Trinket will enjoy a great life in our home that will be her forever home, and she will be rewarded with many years of love and spoiling!

Two young black lab puppies sleep next to each other, one on its belly and one on its backWill we host another Leader Dog Mom? Well, if this fantastic experience working with an organization that is so very meaningful in changing the lives or people with blindness is any indication of how we feel and how proud we are to be a part of it, I guess that question has already been answered!

And for those who may be considering becoming a host home for a LD Mom or Dad… you will never regret that decision and the experience! It is indeed life changing and in a very good way!

Photos courtesy of Gary Lewandowski