My heart is bursting with pride once again as we are back from attending the graduation of another Dog Guide puppy raised by my daughter, Jody. Hope was matched with a lovely woman named Cindy who leads a very busy, diverse life. It was clear from the first time we saw them together at the graduation ceremony that they already had a strong bond. Hope was very attentive to Cindy and easily gave her kisses. Cindy absolutely adores Hope. She spoke to us about what a difference Hope will make in her life – returning to her the freedom and independence lost when her eyesight failed her as an adult.
The question Jody is most often asked about fostering Dog Guide puppies is “How can you give them back?” Jody will tell you it’s hard and she cried tonight knowing she likely won’t see Hope again. Hope didn’t know that, though, and I thought her back end would wiggle right off when she realized Jody was there! Such joy at being reunited. Going to the graduation ceremony and meeting the partner of the puppy she raised from 6 1/2 weeks of age is such a special time and allows the foster parents to see that, while they are giving up their four-legged babies, they are giving so much more to the people with whom the dogs are partnered.
Hope is her second partner so Cindy knows the ropes. There are soft mats, toys and nearby playmates waiting for Hope to arrive at her new home and Cindy just knows that Hope will learn her way around town quickly. Cindy laughed while telling us that one of their last challenges together before graduation was being dropped off roughly 40 minutes walk from the centre with the task of finding their way back. They accomplished it in 25 minutes and since they both had so much energy they repeated the task! Cindy and Hope are going to have a fantastic life together.
Jody and Cindy share Hope stories
A quiet moment while everyone else was talking
Such excitement at being reunited – so sad to say goodbye
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