About Us
Our mission is to provide, at no charge, trained German Shepherd guide dogs to the blind and visually impaired for the enhancement of their safety and independence.
Our Organization
Eye Dog Foundation was organized as a non-profit corporation in 1952. Ever since that time, it has been dedicated to giving guide dogs to the blind and the visually impaired at absolutely no cost to them. Our German Shepherd dogs have been assisting blind individuals all over the world with their daily travels. The dogs provide guidance and safety, as well as loving companionship.
We prefer to call our dogs “guide dogs” although many people over the years have begun using the term “seeing-eye dog.” We are not sure where the origin of seeing-eye dog started, but one of the first training schools established back in 1927 was called the Seeing Eye and naturally, they called their dogs the “seeing-eye dogs.” So, perhaps that was where the term originated, but at our facility, we are determined to use the phrase guide dog which we feel provides the best description of what they do.
Our Facilities
The Phoenix training facility is located near scenic South Mountain Park in Phoenix, Arizona. The facilities, completed in 1990, include a 20 dog kennel, student dormitory, garage, and trainer’s residence.
The dormitory contains 6 individual rooms, each with their own bathroom. A living room in the center of the dorm includes a refrigerator, sink, and a TV with VCR, as well as a recently donated descriptive video library. A payphone is available for student use. A large dining room provides plenty of room for 6 students with dogs. Meals are provided near the training route.
The growth of the puppy program has also required the construction of puppy kennels. Grass training field and desert landscaped walking paths provide safe places for exercise and practice.
A relief area for the dogs is directly accessible from the south side of the dormitory. On the opposite side of the dorm, a patio with chairs and a table accommodates those wishing to relax outside. It also doubles as the designated smoking area, leaving the dormitory smoke free.
A new shuttle bus for student’s transportation saw duty for the first time in October of 1998. This specially designed bus will allow students to travel in greater safety and comfort. It will also serve as a base of operations during the training day. An auxiliary generator powers the cooling system so essential when working in a warm climate.
Our Team
We are blessed to have a small but dedicated team of talented individuals. Each brings a unique skill to help us raise and train guide dogs to serve the blind and vision impaired. Click on their profiles below to learn more about them.
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