EDMONDS — Some sight-impaired children are afraid of dogs, but Ethin Woolf, 9, isn’t one of them.
The boy laughed and squealed as a procession of puppies came by and heartily licked his face and ears Monday at Edmonds’ Louis Braille School for sight-impaired children.
For the second year, the school brought in several prospective guide dogs to let the kids get used to being with dogs and vice versa. In what was billed as the Puppy Parade, the children petted the dogs, played tug-of-war with them, brushed them and walked them around an outdoor patio.
Ethin, who said he has a couple of dogs at home in Kirkland, had a head start.
“Every dog here must love me,” he said. When the dogs licked him, he kissed them back, smack on the lips.
Most of the other seven children were a little more shy but still seemed to enjoy the puppies. The children are attending a two-week day camp at the school.
Volunteers brought 19 dogs, all black or yellow Labrador retrievers, ranging in age from 11 weeks to 13 months. The dogs are being raised as potential guide dogs by volunteers who belong to clubs around the Puget Sound area that operate with direction from Guide Dogs for the Blind, an organization based in San Rafael, Calif.
The day camp includes bowling, music, swimming in wading pools, crafts and more. The kids range in age from 6 to 15.
Bringing in the puppies last year helped eliminate fear of dogs for some of the children, said Carolyn Meyer, the
school’s director.
“It has a big impact on them,” she said.
One girl who had been afraid of dogs had a vivid, happy dream about dogs after the event, Meyer said.
The school, formerly known as the Louis Braille Center, has had a full academic program for sight-impaired children for about two years, Meyer said. Other services at the school include summer programs, weekend programs and after-school tutoring.
The Puppy Parade is as much a learning experience for the puppies as it is for the children, volunteers said.
For the volunteers, raising the puppies is a big commitment, said Katie Skurok of Mukilteo. She brought Sharla, a 6-month-old yellow Lab, to the event.
“They go to work with us, they go to restaurants,” she said. “They’re rarely left alone at home.”
After about 12 to 18 months, the dogs go to a school in Boring, Ore., where they must complete extensive training to become guide dogs.
Some dogs make the cut, some don’t. For those that don’t, the volunteers have the option of adopting them.
“It’s a good deed if they make it,” Skurok said. “You’re helping a guy get his eyes or a woman get her eyes.”
Having a guide dog is a realistic goal for most of the children, Meyer said.
“We tell them, ‘You can’t dream about having a car, but you can dream about having a guide dog. And you can’t snuggle up with a car.’ “
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
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