Sign In

Training Guide Dogs

August 4, 2020

Before the Coronavirus pandemic struck, the Southeastern Guide Dogs campus in Palmetto was full of volunteers, trainers, and playful puppies.

But when the Pandemic struck that all changed.

“Before the Coronavirus, we took a hands-on approach through the training of most of our dogs. Right now, because of the pandemic, we have to use technology. For example, we use Facebook Live, Zoom, and other online platforms to provide training to our 300 plus volunteers puppy raisers”, explains CEO of Southeastern Guide Dogs, Titus Herman.

The puppies are paired with people who suffer some kind of disability whether physical or mental like PTSD or anxiety.

“I’m hoping for a service dog because I truly believe it will provide the full-time companionship and aid because of my military service injuries,” Leo Garza says in a video to Southeastern Guide Dogs.

Herman says even in the midst of this pandemic where we have to social distance, the puppies provide a friendship that is much needed now

“Thankfully these dogs transform the lives of the recipients in significant ways and because of those dogs the people we serve people are able to leave their homes. Even though they may be physically distant from others. They will get to make a social connection and the dogs create a bridge between isolation and society,”

Register Your Dog

  • Most Recent News

    Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life

    When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]

    Read more

    Students Get Therapy Dog

    When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dogtor

    Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dog Pups

    When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]

    Read more

    Puppy Cams

    A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]

    Read more

    Pet Committee

    When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]

    Read more