A couple in Valencia has dedicated decades of their lives raising guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired.
Here are the KNX Heroes of the Week:
Suzanne Breaw and her husband Jeff decided to become puppy raisers back in the mid-90s, after going to a meeting that featured a guest from Guide Dogs of America.
"We were looking to get a second dog for our family. Once we found out about the program, and we found out what is was about -that is what sold us," says Suzanne.
Puppy raisers get the pups when they are about 5 to 6 weeks old. They then care for the dogs for about 15 months, and each dog wears a special jacket to identify them as a guide dog-in-training. Suzanne tells me that they start small, with the puppies getting exposure to normal everyday life at home.
?"We work on bonding, basic commands, and get them used to their environment."
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The dogs then attend puppy kindergarten. Once they graduate, they get exposed to all sorts of things.
"We take them to the mall, to restaurants, to the bank."
Suzanne says next is obedience class, where the puppies learn to stay calm around other dogs. After that is formal training with Guide Dogs of America.
Suzanne tells me it really is a 24-7 commitment - just like raising a child.
"You definitely look at them a little differently than you do a pet dog," says Suzanne. "You can't leave them at home with a pet sitter."
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"They're running errands with us. They go on the Metro, and the city buses. Our current puppy goes to work with my husband [Jeff] in a high-rise in Pasadena."
Over the years Suzanne and Jeff have raised 17 puppies in training. Their current dog is a 5-month-old black lab named Castle.
We are proud to name Suzanne and Jeff Breaw as the KNX Hero of the Week! KNX Heroes presented by California Resources Corporation... saluting our military veterans, and all of our heroes!
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Stephanie Colman is a Puppy Department Coordinator for Guide Dogs of America.
Heather Jordan, KNX 1070 News Radio.
