How To Sponsor A Guide Dog Puppy In Training

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People are often times wondering how they can help guide dogs and how to sponsor a guide dog puppy in training like my current puppy, Apache.

I’ve been working furiously these past couple weeks gathering photos, writing short paragraphs, and putting together a little photo album about Apache, my guide dog puppy in training.  I’ve been raising guide dog puppies for over 5 years and I’ve been talking about my experiences as a raiser almost equally as long, but this is probably the first time you’ve heard me talk about putting together a photo album for one of my pups.  Why you might as?  Well it’s because Apache is a sponsored guide dog and as the puppy raiser of a sponsored dog I’m required to put together a quarterly report that includes written updates and pictures of Apache’s training.

So now you’re saying that you’d like to sponsor a guide dog, but you don’t know what to do, how much will it cost, and where do you start.

How To Sponsor A Guide Dog Puppy In Training

The first thing you can do is visit the Guide Dogs of America Puppy Sponsor page.  There’s some great information there about some of the different levels of sponsorship.  Here’s a brief summary of what’s on the GDA website:

Puppy Sponsorship – $5,000 Donation

Here are a few of the benefits for a puppy sponsorship which covers all the expenses from breeding to 18-20 months:

As a sponsor, you will receive photographs and a written update quarterly, and your name will be embroidered on the puppy jacket. Your puppy will be thoroughly evaluated at 18 – 20 months of age to determine if it is eligible to continue on to formal guide dog training or be selected for our breeding program. Finally, if your dog successfully completes its training course, and is scheduled to graduate, you will receive an invitation to our Awards Ceremony with special recognition of your generosity.

Newborn Puppy Sponsor – $2,500 Donation

Here’s are the benefits and list of what this sponsorship covers:

You will receive a certificate with a photo of a newborn puppy. Covers the cost of breeding and delivery.

Sponsor a Litter of Puppies – $1,000 Donation

Here’s are the benefits and list of what this sponsorship covers:

You will receive a certificate with a photo of a mother and her litter of puppies. Covers the cost of breeding, delivery and all expenses up to 7 weeks of age.

Of course Apache’s sponsor donated $5,000 to Guide Dogs of America which is great and that is why I’ve been working on his sponsor report these past few weeks.  So what exactly am I doing for his report?  I’m putting together a little 8×8 hardback photo album from Shutterfly and I’m also going to try and put together a DVD video with some of the video I’ve taken of him on our outings.  I’m hoping to finish both projects by the end of this weekend.

Here’s a little sample of Apache’s Puppy Sponsor photo album:

As I mentioned I’m also trying to put together a few short puppy videos for Apache’s puppy sponsors. I’m working hard to get it done in the next couple days. By the way there are other ways to help out guide dogs like becoming a volunteer or even a puppy raiser. In fact there are also other ways to sponsor a guide dog through donation.

Sponsor A Guide Dog

Here are some of the other guide dog sponsorship opportunities through Guide Dogs of America.

• Student Accommodation Sponsor: $3,000 – This sponsorship covers room and board expenses for 28 days in the student dormitory, travel expenses and guide dog graduation kit for one student.
• Training Sponsorship: $10,000 – Covers all costs while a future guide dog is in training for approximately six months, including all evaluations, medical care, and food.
• Guide Dog Sponsorship: $21,000 – You can sponsor a guide dog from training to graduation (approximately 6 months).
• Student Sponsorship: $21,000 – This sponsorship covers all the expenses of a student during their 28 day in-residence training program as well as their transportation to and from the school.
• Team Sponsorship: $42,000 – This is our highest level of sponsorship. It covers all expenses of both guide dog and student.

Of course you can make a donation of any amount.  I often times make smaller donations anywhere from a couple dollars to a couple hundred.  It’s up to you.

If you have any additional questions about sponsoring a guide dog go to this the sponsorship page on the GDA website for contact email and phone numbers.

Have you sponsored a guide dog puppy in training in the past?  If so tell us about your sponsored puppy in the comment section below.

Top Picks For Our Puppies

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   We Like: Beef Collagen Sticks - All of our pups love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Collagen Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.
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Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist.