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September is National Guide Dog Month, a celebration that began right here in the Coachella Valley. In 2008, actor Dick Van Patten was inspired after visiting Guide Dogs of the Desert, where he saw firsthand how guide dogs transform the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. His vision grew into a nationwide campaign to honor these life-changing partnerships every September.
For over 50 years, Guide Dogs of the Desert has provided custom-trained service dogs free of charge, giving recipients enhanced independence, safety, and confidence. But this mission depends on community support.
One of our greatest needs is for puppy raisers—volunteers who welcome a future guide dog into their home for 18 months, teaching basic obedience and social skills before the dog continues advanced training. Every guide dog begins as a puppy raised with love and care.
We just re-opened our veterinary hospital to help reduce our veterinary care costs. As our hospital was closed due to COVID, we need $200,000 to update medical equipment and to care for the extraordinary dogs who save lives every day. Caring for guide dogs from birth to retirement demands the best. Donations can be made at GDDCA.org. Every contribution ensures that Guide Dogs of the Desert can continue providing these life-changing services at no cost to those in need.
Volunteers, donors, and supporters all play a vital role in changing lives.
This is a special time of year to recognize the impact our guide dogs make on those we serve and take the time to highlight our wonderful community of volunteers and donors who make these amazing life-changing journeys possible. National Guide Dog Month is the perfect time for our community to step forward—whether by raising a puppy, making a donation, or simply spreading the word. This September, honor the legacy that began in our own community— support Guide Dogs of the Desert and help change lives, one guide dog at a time.
ABOUT GUIDE DOGS OF THE DESERT
Founded in 1972, Guide Dogs of the Desert is one of only 14 International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) accredited schools in the United States. Guide Dogs of the Desert serves people throughout America, without geographic boundaries.
Guide Dogs of the Desert serves those individuals who are legally blind (corrected vision less than 20/200 in best eye, or 20 degrees or less of visual field) in America. Guide Dogs of the Desert clients represent a broad spectrum of visual impairment that ranges from legal blindness to a complete lack of vision.
Guide Dogs of the Desert clients are from all ages, genders, income levels and ethnic/racial backgrounds. In its more than 50-year history, Guide Dogs of the Desert has served clients aged 18 to 89. Importantly, all guide dogs and training are provided free of charge.
Always equitable and inclusive, Guide Dogs of the Desert is one of only a few schools in America that provides an individualized, highly-specialized curriculum for people with multiple disabilities including hearing loss, autism, mobility disabilities, learning differences, and neurodivergent disabilities.
In addition, Guide Dogs of the Desert is the only school nationally accepting students to work with the exceedingly intelligent and desirable hypoallergenic poodles. Hypoallergenic poodles are ideal for workplace environments and households with allergies.
Moreover, Guide Dogs of the Desert is the only IGDF accredited guide dog school in the country with a full 28 days of training where students live on-campus, with their new guide dogs, learning the cues, clues, commands and signals to handle and care for their new guide dogs.
Overall, Guide Dogs of the Desert has created more than 900 client-dog teams in its more than 50 years of service and placed 50 Support K9s in the field throughout the United States. With only 14 International Guide Dog Federation accredited schools in the United States, all of the Guide Dog schools, together, cannot begin to address the overwhelming need for guide dogs.