Volunteer Highlight – Lauren

From childhood, my parents taught us to be involved in the community. We all have something to give, we just have to find what inspires us. Growing up in the area and knowing about Leader Dog for a long time, I had wanted to raise a puppy but did not have a way to do so while working long hours at the hospital—until my boyfriend, Greg, moved in with me. The first year Leader Dog took over managing the Frozen Paw 5K, I saw the puppy raiser table and asked Greg if he would help me with this project. He agreed and now we are on puppy number three!

I love being able to get together with other puppy raisers to do outings. I enjoy organizing a group of us to go to a Red Wings or Tigers game, or to Port Huron or Belle Isle to do fun activities. We pretend it is solely for exposing dogs to new environments, but in all reality, they are fun events for us humans too! I have met so many great people in our community this way, and puppy raising is truly a team effort. We learn from each other, and our puppy counselors are there to support us through every phase.

I started volunteering with Leader Dog because of the puppies, but as I have become more involved with the organization, I have made many great new friends among the other volunteers, staff and clients. On top of being a raiser, I also joined the community engagement team along with the blind fold walk volunteers. I enjoy the family feeling and comradery behind the united mission of helping people who are visually impaired to feel safe and independent.

Giving presentations with a puppy makes my volunteer job as a community engagement volunteer much easier. The focus is never on me, but on the puppy and what they represent. The community wants to learn how they can help. I remember during one presentation, there were people in the audience that had been to a previous presentation. They kept raising their hand to tell me to teach this group about various things they had learned during the last presentation, such as how the dogs are trained on listening for the electric cars, or how Dinner in the Dark is the largest fundraiser for Leader Dog and how to register to attend.

When I first started volunteering with Leader Dog as a puppy raiser, I had no idea how large the organization truly is. There are so many different aspects and services to Leader Dog, not just guide dogs. I was very impressed with the overall drive to continue to change and improve the organization. The concept that the world will forever be changing and therefore the organization will also need to do the same is a life lesson for all of us.

Get Involved

Leader Dogs for the Blind is always seeking volunteers to raise Leader Dog puppies. No prior experience is needed, just time, patience and a willingness to help a puppy grow with purpose.

As a puppy raiser, you’ll teach the puppy essential skills like sit, stay, polite greetings and confident behavior in busy environments—all with the support of an experienced Leader Dog puppy counselor and a local volunteer network. No previous dog training experience is necessary, and all training materials are provided.

Flexible options such as co-raising (sharing duties between households) and the pass-along program (dividing the year into two six-month terms) make the experience possible to many lifestyles, including families, retirees and busy professionals alike.

Visit the Raise A Puppy page to learn more and apply!