ORLANDO, Fla. – Southeastern Guide Dogs is adding a new program as a way to get additional funds.
"Southeastern guide dogs relies entirely on private donations. We do not receive any government funding, state, local or federal," Anne Vanderhoof, regional manager of puppy raising services, said.
The new program is called Sponsor a Puppy, and through it, anyone can help change a life for a monthly fee.
"This is a really profound way to make a change in someone's life for a minimal donation of $19 a month," Vanderhoof said. "You get to follow their progress all the way from our puppy academy where they go to puppy preschool, puppy kindergarten, into their puppy-raiser home and all the way through their formal training and graduation."
A donor can choose to sponsor one puppy or more for themselves or as a gift for another puppy lover.
"It benefits all of our programs. Southeastern Guide provides our highly trained service guide dogs free of charge to all of our applicants," Vanderhoof said.
Southeastern gifts guided and service dogs to people with special needs and those who are blind.
Four years ago, Richard Darrington, who has a degenerative disease of the retina called retinitis pigmentosa, received a black Labrador.
"If he were a person, not to be too mushy, he's the love of my life," Darrington said about his best friend, Malcolm.
Malcom is more than just a faithful friend to Darrington, the dog also has a job to do.
"He's meant to be essentially my eyes on a leash. I have no night vision. I have little to zero depth perception, that's problematic, let's say if you're trying to find stairs, go up and down stairs. What I normally see is a limited version of what the true picture is."
Prior to getting Malcolm, Darrington had to rely on another person whenever he had to leave his house.
Now, Malcolm makes his life a little easier and safer.
"That's kind of the goal; not get hit by an oncoming car that the blind person did not see coming -- that the dog would see coming," Darrington said.
Currently, Southeastern has two Labrador puppies available for sponsorship, Cricket and Charlie, who are in the beginning stages of their training.
For more information about sponsorship click or tap here.