A person and a guide dog form a partnership it is impossible to describe. Every partnership is different, but impactful. To both members of the team… and their communities, too! Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of the big picture… that guide dogs and people form partnerships that have a rippling effect of positivity within their communities. Each time […]
Volunteer Lara Hanson shares here experience raising her first GDD puppy- a female black lab named Arrow. Her story shows that while the puppy raising journey makes an impact on our pups, our volunteers grow and learn throughout the process too. —— I started working in the puppy den as a volunteer in 2023. I had been interested in participating […]
While we could continue to share information about puppy raising and what the experience is like… sometimes it’s just better directly from the source. One of those sources is William Walz. This was written when he was an early teenager, and his family had just finished raising their first guide dog puppy- a black lab named Kenny. Since then William […]
My name is Miranda Martinez, and I am a second-year student at Cal State LA. My journey as a puppy raiser from Guide Dogs of the Desert began during my junior year of high school. I was inspired by my sister, who is part of the medical team at GDD. The day I was given my puppy Raja was thrilling […]
We’re having a Puppy Palooza Open House. Here are the details: What: A fun, family-friendly, air-conditioned event to help raise awareness of the power of guide dogs. When: July 2, 2024 from 9 a.m. to Noon Where: Guide Dogs of the Desert Auditorium, 60735 Dillon Rd., Whitewater Why: We have 17 poodle puppies born in the last few weeks and […]
The Guide Dogs of the Desert mini-documentary video, Leading the Way continues to be recognized for excellence. In mid-2023, GDD contracted with local journalists, Anndee Laskoe and Ian Hughes, known as Box of Kittens, to create a short video that tells the Guide Dogs of the Desert story. Anndee and Ian loved the project so much that they used what […]
In January, the Palm Springs Police Department welcomed its newest — and furriest — recruit: a lab retriever named Finley. But unlike most recruits, Finley won’t be solving crimes or making arrests. Instead, he has several important jobs that he is uniquely suited for, including providing emotional support to staff and serving as a department ambassador to the community. Lt. Gustavo Araiza said […]
One of the two pregnant poodles gave birth yesterday. Sherrie had a wonderful litter of healthy puppies! Didi is also pregnant and will give birth in the next week or so. As a new mom, Sherrie is still really nervous on how to care for her babies but is learning fast. Since Sherrie and Didi are first-time moms we are […]
We are thrilled to share an exciting update on the newest additions to our Guide Dog training program—two adorable Standard Poodle puppies. These little girls, still fresh to the world, are just beginning to open their eyes. It won’t be long before their ears perk up to the sounds around them, marking the next big step: moving to the Puppy […]
We talk about puppy raising a lot! It is such an integral part of the work we do here at GDD that it is almost impossible not to. But, if you are not familiar with exactly what puppy raising is, you may have some questions. So, we’re here to clear that up for you! What is puppy raising exactly? Puppy […]