Will Guide Dog Venus Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Venus, my six year old Guide Dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind, not only helps me with mobility, she also helps the people I work with who are blind or visually impaired. I teach others, who have vision loss, use technology to improve their lives, find employment and remain independent. Many of these people are depressed and have lost hope because of their disabilities. When they see Venus and how much she helps me, they often find encouragement and hope that they can return to a "normal" life.

She spreads joy wherever she goes. People tell me that she has never lost her “puppy face”.

She also has an amazing memory. When we visit a client for the second time, she remembers them. I can feel her tail wag when we go to the door.

Venus is a great companion. When my mother passed away, we traveled to Florida to make arrangements and have services. While I was cleaning out the house, Venus attached herself to an afghan my mother made the moment we entered the house. While boxing up items on the last day, Venus made sure that afghan went with us. She put it right in front of the door! Today the afghan goes with us on all trips.

I waited 15 years to get a guide dog. I have no idea why I waited so long. Venus is the best things I have ever done for my vision loss and she is truly my hero! -- Betsy Gruba of Heartland, Wisconsin

Will Guide Dog Venus win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog Trish Win the Hero Dog Awards?

On a cold and blustery February evening, my roommates, my guide Trish and I went to Muir Beach Overlook to watch the sunset. This photo (below) was taken of Trish and me on the Overlook with the sun off to our left.

Having some sight makes it somewhat easier to navigate places like this, but with Trish, there is no question that I am 100% safe traversing just about any terrain we face. She has totally changed my life for the better and is not only a one-of-a-kind guide, but a loved and adored companion. -- Jason Baker of Fairfax, California



Will Guide Dog Trish win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog Timber Win the Hero Dog Awards?

I thought I'd never get out of the well. The pale circle of light far above was becoming dimmer with each passing minute. Then, I heard footsteps, no, it was pawsteps, and I knew I was saved.

Okay, I'm not Timmy, and it isn't Lassie rescuing me from the well. I'm Leslie, and it's Timber rescuing me each and every day. Timber's heroics aren't the sort that appear in newspapers and movies. Rather, his heroics are the sort that happen during the course of our daily lives.

Transforming instantly from pet to guide when his harness snaps on, Timber is hyper-alert and focused on his task of negotiating our environment as we travel from one place to another. Whether the route is mundane, having only straight and level sidewalks with street crossings in my favor or the route is hazardous, having obstacles and complicated intersection crossings with loud gusting winds, Timber deftly leads us to our destination. Nothing in the environment, not crowds, not noise, not even dogs, distracts Timber from his purposeful and flawless guiding.

Maybe I am more like Timmy and Timber is more like Lassie than we had thought. Every day, everywhere we go, Timber rescues me from my figurative well; he saves me from the confines of immobility and sets me free. He truly is a hero dog. -- Leslie Brueckner of Santa Barbara, California

Will Guide Dog Timber win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! You can vote every day, and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog Puppy Pilaf Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Pilaf is the twelfth puppy I have raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Two years ago, my husband and I started a web series called Growing Up Guide Pup. We thought that it would be fun to document and share our experience puppy raising. We gained a lot of fans, especially those who use guide dogs or were interested in getting a guide of their own, or people who were interested in becoming puppy raisers.

We decided to conitue the show and do another season with a new puppy, Pilaf is that puppy. She is helping us to continue to educate people how guides are started. Many people believe that working dogs are forced to work and never have any fun. Pilaf is helping to show the world that Guide Dogs are raised with love, not manufactured. They are encouraged to work because it's fun, not forced because they have to.

We have recieved messages from all over the world about how our show has helped people decide to get a guide dog, now understanding all the work that goes into them. We have also had people tell us that they want to become puppy raisers because of the show.

Pilaf is a great puppy to show that anything is possible. She started off as a very timid puppy, afraid of the world around her. But she is proving that with some encouragement and guidence she is overcoming her fears. -- Amie Chapman of Hayward, California.

Will Guide Dog Puppy Pilaf win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog Pasta Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Ever since receiving Pasta from Guide Dogs for the Blind, my life has changed. When I used my cane, I felt insecure. I hated traveling at night; I avoided going out in the rain when possible because the noise made listening to my surroundings challenging and I never just went for pleasure walks.

With Pasta, I take pleasure walks, travel at night, ride the bus, go to stores and restaurants, and even go out in the rain! I don’t have to worry about running into something, misreading traffic or tripping. Pasta guides me around obstacles, stops for changes in elevation and refuses to go if it is unsafe.

Pasta makes me feel a level of confidence that I have never known before. One day, a passerby said, “When I see you walking, I don’t think of you as disabled.” And, with Pasta, I don’t feel that way.

Pasta gives me the freedom to do anything. If I get lost, as I did mere months after receiving Pasta, all I have to do is say “Let’s go home,” and she’ll take me there, as she did that very first time four years ago. If we are crossing a street and a car turns in front of us without looking, she’ll stop and push me out of the way, as she has on several occasions.

But Pasta is more than my Guide Dog; she is my friend, cuddle-bug and so much more that words cannot describe. I love her with all my heart. -- Megan Miller of Long Beach, California

Will Guide Dog Pasta win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog K9 Buddy Natura Win the Hero Dog Awards?

It's been a year since Zach Thibodeaux, a 9-year-old third-grader, was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, an incurable disease rapidly taking his vision. Natura, a K9 Buddy dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind, based in San Rafael, California, became a part of Zach’s life on New Year's Day.

A K9 Buddy provides children who are visually impaired with canine companions.It teaches them the responsibility of having a dog, so when it’s time to receive a guide dog they know how to care for and live with a dog.

Zach is learning to be in charge of Natura’s behavior and well-being. He attends classes with the local Texas puppy raising club to keep up Natura's commands, and learn skills that will benefit him in the future with an actual working guide dog.

Natura was on her way toward becoming a Guide Dog, but couldn't handle public transportation, so she was then placed in the K9 Buddy program. Due to the transportation issue, we were afraid that the the flights she’d have to take from Northern California to Dallas would be terrifying for her, so volunteers drove her all the way from San Francisco to Dallas in time for a surprise presentation to Zach on New Year's Day. Zach and Natura have bonded beautifully and have become a wonderful part of the Lone Star Puppy Raising Club.

Read more about Natura by following all the stories on the K9 Buddy Train!




Will Guide Dog K9 Buddy Natura win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! You can vote once a day, and be sure to spread the word!

Will Guide Dog Joan Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Joan displayed her incredible service while we were training [at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California]. During the last week of training, Joan and I were walking the streets in search of a store, but Joan stopped at an alley. I told Joan "hop up", which means pay attention. Joan completely ignored my command, and pushed me back to the sidewalk. At that exact moment, a car was racing at us and did not see us until the driver was right beside us. Joan saved my life, knowing that it was not safe to cross the street, which is called intelligent disobedience!

Ever since that time, Joan has given her life to serving and protecting me. Many doors have been opened because of my dog. When Joan is not working with me, we often visit mentally and handicapped children, giving therapy whenever she can. Joan is my hero, please consider her as the guide dog hero of 2012. --Jessica Keel of Umatilla, Florida

Will Guide Dog Joan win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog Jag Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Hello My name is Jag. I'm almost 2 years old, and was born on the 5th of July. I was raised in South Central California, near King City. Then I moved to Oregon for school and training. When I graduated, I went to work as a Guide Dog with a blind veteran. He's my buddy and takes great care of me. We go everywhere together, but I especially love it when we play tug of war together. But my favorite thing is taking care of my soldier and keeping him from hurting himself or getting run over.


Kerwin Davis with black Lab Jag

Kerwin said, "I just love my new Guide Dog Jag he is such a perfect and well behaved soul we have so much fun together and now we go everywhere. He brings me so much pleasure and confidence he is truly amazing! Thanks Guide Dogs For The Blind!"

Will Guide Dog Jag win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote!
Let's hear it for Jag, in Inola, Oklahoma!

Will Guide Dog Galleon Win the Hero Dog Awards?

My retired Guide Dog Galleon, from Guide Dogs for the Blind is my hero dog because he literally changed my life in countless ways. He guided me for over nine years as my eyesight diminished.

He guided me to stand at the Lincoln Memorial, which had always been a lifelong dream of mine. He guided me to go places, meet people and do things that I would never have attempted without him by my side. He made it possible for me to fly over 20,000 miles on trips.

He guided me through three funerals of close family members, and through my wedding. He has taught me love, compassion, patience, understanding.

He has taught me that a Guide Dog does more than guide, a Guide Dog helps a person to live their dreams! --Lion Larry Marcum and the guys (pictured: retired Galleon and my new Guide Brinkley) of Forest Ranch, California

Will retired Guide Dog Galleon win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will GDB Dog Dean Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Dean is a 2-year-old hero to many children. He is also a Pet Ambassador for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

I received Dean when he was 10 weeks old, to raise him for Guide Dogs for the Blind. He was career changed at 15 months old, and became part of our forever family.

In December 2011, he was asked to become a mascot and voice for the Douglas C.A.R.E.S Penguin Plunge "Save a Child" event, which is a non-profit that raises awareness and helps children of abuse. He was the only dog in the event with many people, and raised the most money as a individual. He was awarded with special recognition for volunteering "Above and Beyond".

We feel each puppy from Guide Dogs for the Blind, working as a guide for someone visually impaired or career changed as a family pet, has a calling to do something special in helping and serving others. Dean has found a way and will continue to do just that.

Help him in helping Guide Dogs for the Blind, to bring and train more amazing dogs into this world that will help, serve and bring more than smiles to so many. Thank you for considering making Dean your Hero Dog,too! -- Sandi Justis of Roseburg, Oregon

Will GDB Dog Dean win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog Carlo Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Carlo is a six-year-old Guide Dog that has made an unbelievable difference in my life. I have lost my vision gradually and started using a white cane fifteen years ago. After falling down some stairs on my way home from work and suffering an injury that required surgery to repair, I decided I needed more than a cane. I got Carlo.

My cane has been collecting dust ever since. I commute over 20 miles to work five days a week. Carlo guides me on my twenty-five minute walk to and from the train station and around my rather large office building. He even guides me through the crowded, narrow and uneven sidewalks in San Francisco’s Chinatown to go to lunch with colleagues. Bumps, bruises and more serious injuries are things of the past. When people ask “Has Carlo ever saved your life?” I answer,“Every day!”

Technology, such as screen-reading software, has extended my career in IT, but without Carlo, I doubt that I would have the necessary mobility to continue. We go everywhere together. Besides work, he takes me to the grocery store, to get my hair cut, to visit friends, to medical appointments and more. We have travelled to Hawaii, Las Vegas and all over the State of California. We have even gone off-road – hiking in the Sierra Nevada and other places.

He gives me the confidence to go where I want to go and I do so feeling safe in his paws. --Timothy Godecker in Walnut Creek, California

Will Guide Dog Carlo win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog Balsam Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Balsam and I are graduates of Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California. In 2008, I was run off the road by a truck, totaled my car and ended up with a severe head injury leading to a stroke. Lucky to be alive, I sustained an acute loss of peripheral vision resulting in a status of "legally blind".

While I was hospitalized, my 15-year-old niece contacted Guide Dogs for the Blind and placed me on a waiting list for a Guide Dog. Six months later, I entered into the program and was introduced to the most wonderful dog in the world!

After three weeks of training (for me not the dog), we arrived home with a new lease on life. As you might expect, coping with life-changing condition such as blindness tends to be a bit depressing.

Balsam accompanies me every day and has allowed me to travel internationally and independently with confidence. Balsam has given me the strength and ability to move on with my life in countless ways.

I am thankful to Balsam and Guide Dogs for the Blind for helping me move on with my life and making me whole. --Joseph Landau of Long Beach, California

Will Guide Dog Balsam win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and be sure to share!

Will Guide Dog Atticus Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Atticus and I have been a team since Valentine’s Day 2003. During our seven years together, Atticus has not only been a hero to me, but many others as well.

Atticus has traveled the world with me and kept me safe from the ruins of Rome to the beaches of Cozumel. Atticus does all the usual, but performs best in a crowded situation.

Being a Disabled American Veteran I have had the opportunity, with Atticus by my side, to show everyone what a blind veteran is capable of. Atticus has attended numerous veteran associated conventions and participated in many ceremonies. He shines his brightest when performing as part of a Color Guard or leading me in Memorial Services for fallen veterans. Atticus holds honorary memberships in the DAV, VFW, VVA and Elks Lodge.

Atticus has always protected me and kept me safe. In Sacramento, he kept me from walking off an unprotected five-foot embankment, by holding fast to his training in intelligent disobedience. I kept telling him forward; he wouldn’t go. I thought I was fine, Atticus knew better. Numerous times Atticus has pulled me from harm’s way.

Atticus is a proud volunteer with me at the Sepulveda VA and has played the role of therapy dog for our veterans in the Nursing home. When we are out and about, Atticus puts a smile on people’s faces. Atticus is not just a Guide Dog, he is a Hero and an Ambassador for service dogs everywhere. -- Veteran James Hogan in Canyon Country, California

Will Guide Dog Atticus win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! Vote every day and share!

Will Guide Dogs for the Blind Win the Hero Dog Awards?

Take a look at all the Guide Dog for the Blind family members who nominated their dogs for the Hero Dog Awards! They're passionate about their canine partners, and they should be! Having a Guide Dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind is like having a soul mate.

Some people say the relationship is closer than a marriage, because they're with their dogs 24/7, they get unconditional love, and their dogs never say, "Those pants make you look fat."

Just kidding.

We're going to be introducing you to one of our contestants each week,

but don't wait for us -- you can vote once each day for a dog from our school.

Maybe our Presidents should try this system...

Cast your votes for:

Atticus

Balsam

Carlo

Dean

Dooley

Galleon

Jag

Joan

Natura

Pasta

Pilaf

Timber

Trish

Venus

As far as we're concerned, all of our dogs are heroes

--each and every one--

so we're not playing favorites!

We want everyone to get out the vote for all of our dogs.

Will Guide Dogs for the Blind win the Hero Dog Awards? Only if you vote! We won last year, so it's up to you to take us to the red carpet.

Forward!