Leader Dogs

Founded in 1939 by Lions Club members, Charles Nutting, Don Schuur and S.A. Dodge, Leader Dog has successfully matched and graduated over 13,000 person / dog teams since its inception. The dream of these men became vision and independence for thousands.

The dedicated staff at Leader Dog is over 100 strong. The facilities, located on the original 14 acres first purchased by the founders, have morphed from a farm with numerous outbuildings to a superb residence center, a stellar kennel, and well manicured grounds. This complex is home to our students, dogs, all services departments and the support staff that enable Leader Dog to enhance the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals from all over the world.

As the second dog guide school founded in the U.S., we are proud of our programs offered, our graduates who live our mission each year and the thousands of lives that have been touched directly from the services provided by Leader Dog. To maintain the high standard of excellence we expect of ourselves, we are members of the U.S. Council of Dog Guide Schools and the International Guide Dog Federation. These bodies keep dog guide schools accountable for their actions, program additions and modifications. The International Guide Dog Federation reassesses members every five years. The last assessment conducted reflected the great efforts of our staff and volunteers. The veteran assessor with 36 years in the field had only positive comments. He impressed upon the management and staff that Leader Dog was among the best he had ever seen.

The stories affirming the impact of Leader Dog services are endless. As the wheels of time continue to turn, so do the advancements of Leader Dog. Services to assist in job skills and living skills education are on the immediate agenda. Our ultimate goal is to be recognized as a full service resource center for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Our vision is to become the most innovative and forward thinking organization in the profession. With consistent support and expansion of our services, we are well on our way.

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Leader Dogs for the Blind
www.leaderdog.org