The Guideway Volume 61 No. 1 Winter 2007 Guide Dog User to Full-time Advocate Retired Marine Captain Joe Link never wanted to use a guide dog. Even when he began to have trouble using his cane to get around, he was reluctant to get a dog. In August 2006, however, he trained and was partnered with a guide, and now he’s the national outreach coordinator for the VetDogs project, part of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind’s expanded outreach to America’s veterans. On December 3, 1971, during his second tour in Vietnam, Link and his men were observing Viet Cong troop movement just south of the demilitarized zone near Laos. Without much warning their position came under attack with heavy rocket fire. Most of Link’s men were killed, and he sustained critical injuries, including the loss of sight in his left eye. Link was evacuated to the Philippines and ultimately to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC to recover. After his release, he made the transition to civilian life, and for the next 26 years, while he gradually lost the sight in his remaining eye, he graduated from the University of Arkansas with an MBA, founded a successful software company, and reared two boys. In 1998, Link found that age was taking its toll, especially in his ability to maneuver with his cane. He had been a committed cane user ever since his injuries in Vietnam. “I was losing energy and my mobility was decreasing” he says. “A friend told me to visit with Sandy Alexander, a Guide Dog Foundation board member and VA employee in Kansas. Sandy got me into the VA Blind Rehabilitation program in Chicago; eventually we talked about the possibility of getting a guide dog.” After complaining to Alexander that it would be “too much trouble” to care for a dog, Link relented, chose the Guide Dog Foundation, and traveled to the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center in Florida to be trained with his guide. “The Guide Dog Foundation, through their VetDogs program, trained me on site at the VA Medical Center. The VA has a wonderful relationship with VetDogs that allows for a half day of guide dog work coupled with a half day of computer training. The experience opened a new world to me,” Link explains. Link was exuberant after his training. He says, “I didn’t realize how much independence I had lost when I used a cane. Obtaining my guide dog was like being reborn.” It was this enthusiasm, as well as Link’s devotion to his fellow veterans, that led the Foundation to approach Link to be the national outreach coordinator for the VetDogs project, a volunteer position. VetDogs provides guide dogs for visually impaired veterans and service dogs for those with other special needs, and the training to help them lead active, independent lives again. Link says he wishes he could capture a couple of minutes with disabled veterans and show how excited they get at the thought of being self-reliant again. “The dogs are lifesavers,” he says. “They restore our souls.” The accompanying photo shows Joe Link, in red shirt and white shorts, training with his black Lab guide on a busy city street. A Message from our CEO It’s been a hectic few months since our last issue of The Guideway: We’ve made the first placements in our VetDogs project, we’ve increased the number of students who are training with Trekker, and in my role as chair of the U.S. Council of Dog Guide Schools, we’ve joined other organizations working with the Department of Justice to refine the definition of assistance dogs for the Americans With Disabilities Act. At the end of January, several members of the Foundation staff and I attended the annual conference of Assistance Dogs International in Washington, DC. At this three-day meeting, representatives from assistance dog schools around the world gathered to exchange ideas on standards for assistance dogs, training theories, equipment, breeding techniques, and disability issues. It’s gratifying that people in the assistance dog movement are so open and willing to share information with their colleagues. Ian Ashworth, our breeding manager, and I each presented workshops, and I was elected an officer of both Assistance Dogs North America and Assistance Dogs International. After the ADI conference, I next visited with the Department of Justice to discuss what changes might be made to the ADA when refining the definition of what constitutes an assistance dog. Unfortunately, the original regulations are far too broad, which is a risk to continued access for those we serve. Finally, at the end of the week, I stopped off at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to check on two recent VetDogs placements, including what is possibly the world’s first physical therapy dog: Sparks. By relying on Sparks—who has been trained to provide balance—instead of two people braced on either side, the brave men and women who are learning to walk on their new prosthetics can take their first steps with new dignity and independence. Our donors, volunteers, staff, and dogs make all of this possible. Thank you. Wells B. Jones, CAE, CFRE Chief Executive Officer VetDogs Program Helps Disabled Veterans Regain Their Lives The VetDogs project is a new program from the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. Since its beginning in 1946, the Foundation has always served the needs of veterans, but it has done so as part of its overall mission to improve the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired. In recent years, the Foundation has come to recognize that as veterans age, and as wounded soldiers return home from the global war on terrorism, there would be a greater need for guide dogs and specialized service dogs to help them maintain mobility and independence. Thus VetDogs was born. The program will consolidate the Foundation’s outreach to veterans by building cooperative relationships with the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and by forging strategic partnerships with other guide and service dog schools to widen the options and availability of services to the veteran, ensuring that disabled veterans receive all the benefits they need to live in dignity and independence. As with other consumers, the Foundation will train and supply guide dogs for the visually impaired veteran and service dogs for those who have disabilities other than blindness. And, as with other consumers, all VetDogs services will be provided at no cost to the veteran. In addition, training on Trekker, an orientation aid that uses GPS technology and digital maps to help blind and visually impaired people navigate unfamiliar territory, is also being offered. The Guide Dog Foundation plans to be the standard by which the military and the VA measure assistance dog providers, and VetDogs is its way of recognizing the sacrifice made by America’s men and women in uniform. The VetDogs logo accompanies this article. Dog Sponsor Keeps Memories Alive “Nothing ever kept her down,” says Marilyn Weiss of her aunt Hannah Zwiren, who was her inspiration to become involved with the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. “She was a very independent woman, with a marvelous sense of humor and delightfully eccentric.” Hannah was born with nanophthalmos, an abnormal smallness of the eyes that gave her minimal vision that eventually diminished to nothing. Her visual impairment, however, never stopped Hannah from being “very much in the sighted world,” Marilyn notes proudly. “She was one of the first female graduates from St. John’s University in 1943; a brilliant woman with a thirst for knowledge.” Hannah “always met her goals fearlessly, and there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish if she put her mind to it,” Marilyn says: She worked most of her life, was a hands-on, full-time mother, active in school affairs, and a self-taught classical pianist. “She was somebody to admire,” she declares. Hannah got Beauty, her first guide dog, from the Guide Dog Foundation in 1969. “Ironically, she was afraid of dogs,” says Marilyn, but the Foundation made the commitment to help her get through her fear. “‘You will be a dog person,’” she remembers they told her aunt. After teaming with Beauty, Hannah became a staunch supporter of the Foundation, ultimately sponsoring 10 dogs herself. As adults, Hannah and Marilyn were more like friends than aunt and niece, and it was Marilyn who was with Hannah in her final days; Hannah’s daughter and son-in-law had predeceased her. Marilyn had previously adopted one of Hannah’s guides when it retired, and Hannah’s last guide, Noel, came to live with her after Hannah’s death. Because Hannah had been such an inspiration to others throughout her life, Marilyn was motivated to keep her dreams and values alive. In 2004, she started the Hannah Zwiren Fund for the Sponsorship of Guide Dogs. In its first two years, the Fund has sponsored 10 dogs. All money raised by Marilyn is earmarked exclusively for dog sponsorship, primarily black Labs because all five of Hannah’s guides were black Labs. The commitment of the Guide Dog Foundation staff “touched Monroe [her husband] and me,” she says. “They’re a wonderful group of people.” Marilyn uses a personal, low-key approach to fundraising. “I reach out to my friends and family, and Hannah’s friends.” Her yearly letters are “very much about Hannah,” and the work of the Guide Dog Foundation. The average donation she gets has increased from year to year, and in most cases, has doubled. Her list of donors has grown significantly as well. Once Marilyn has raised enough to sponsor a dog—$6000—she chooses the puppy’s name. Marilyn is grateful for the chance to support the Foundation’s work and “proud to have the Fund in [Hannah’s] honor. It would give Hannah great satisfaction and joy.” Foundation CEO Wells Jones adds, “Hannah was a very special person who would be very proud of the difference Marilyn is making in so many people’s lives.” There are two accompanying photos. One shows Marilyn Weiss, in a bright red shirt and black pants hugging Noel. The other is a black and white photo from the 1960s and shows Hannah Zwiren posing in front of the old Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind sign with Beauty, her first guide dog. Dog Treats Photos Enterprise Rent-A-Car The photo is a group shot of Enterprise Rent-A-Car staff, with one employee giving a check to Foundation representatives under the brass Enterprise Rent-A-Car sign. The caption reads: Ken Crookes, a full-time driver Enterprise Rent-A-Car, presents the Guide Dog Foundation’s Sue Goss with a $2500 check from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation. Katie Bill, major gifts officer, holds Boss, a female yellow lab, who gives her approval of the whole process. Through the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, the company underwrites a variety of initiatives supported by its employees. Ken, a supporter of the Foundation’s mission, contacted Sue last year to get help in applying for a grant from Enterprise. The Foundation is looking forward to partnering with the company for future volunteer opportunities. Accompanying the photo is a brief story: Does Your Company Have a Matching Gifts Program? You Won’t Know Unless You Ask Many companies match their employees’ charitable donations through gift matching programs. Check with your human resources department to see if your company has one. If they don’t, why not ask to start one? You could double your donation to the Guide Dog Foundation. To find out more about corporate gift matching, and how partnering with us makes good business sense, call our Development Office at 1-866-282-8045. Volunteer Holiday Party The photo is a group shot of Santa with all the volunteers gathered around in the Foundation’s lobby area. The caption reads: Whether it’s puppy walking, helping out in the kennel, working in the office, taxiing graduates and dogs, or socializing with students on weekends, without its 400+ volunteers nationwide, the Guide Dog Foundation could not fulfill its mission of helping those who are blind or visually impaired live active, independent lives. In December 2006, about 95 people came out to the Foundation’s Smithtown campus to mingle with their fellow volunteers, watch “A Christmas Carol,” eat some good food, and visit with Santa. Vito Vero The photo is a close-up of Vito Vero with a microphone, addressing the Foundation staff in the Lions dining room. The caption reads: Vito Vero, the Guide Dog Foundation’s first graduate in 1946, was the guest of honor for the Foundation’s annual staff luncheon. Chef Extra Ordinaire Wells Jones cooked up his famous chili for the Foundation family. After lunch, Vito regaled the staff with tales of guide training in those early days, and how training methods, attitudes toward guide dogs, and access laws have changed over the years. “I blazed a trail,” he said. “There’s nothing like a guide dog. It can change your life.” Of his experiences with the Foundation, Vito said, “It’s the best school there is. They treat you right, and they don’t leave you alone.” John J. Flanagan and Striker The photo shows New York State Senator John J. Flanagan crouching down with Striker, a black Lab service dog, in front of his office doors, with Mike Sergeant and Jeff Bressler on either side. The caption reads: State Senator John T. Flanagan (R-2nd Senate District) and Striker (center) are flanked by the Guide Dog Foundation’s Chief Training Officer R. Michael Sergeant (left) and Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Bressler (right). Striker is one of the first service dogs to be placed from the Foundation’s new VetDogs program. Striker will be working with a wounded veteran to assist with balance and fetching. Senator Flanagan, a staunch supporter of the Foundation, recently arranged for a $15,000 grant to aid the Foundation’s mission to improve the quality of life for people who are visually impaired. Puppy Obedience Class The photo shows a puppy advisor holding a cat, while puppy walkers line up on each side of the driveway outside the student lounge. A puppy walker with a black Lab/Poodle cross is in the front walking by. The caption reads: Puppy walkers are vital members of the Guide Dog Foundation family. They open their hearts and homes to a Foundation puppy for a year, socializing it and teaching basic obedience, but they don’t go it alone. Puppy advisors are always available to answer any questions or concerns, and at least once a month, puppy walkers are required to attend obedience class with their pups. The first Long Island class of 2007 drew 25 brand-new and experienced puppy walkers. During class, the pups were exposed to other dogs, traffic, food, and even a cat that came to check out the action. In addition to Long Island, there are puppy groups located across the country. To see if there is one in your area, or to get information on becoming a puppy walker, please contact the Puppy Department at 1-800-282-8046 or puppies@guidedog.org. Is it Disobedience or Just GOOD DOGS? The photo shows a trainer crossing the street with a black Lab in harness, looking up at the trainer. A car is coming from the right. The caption reads: A fundamental part of a guide dog’s job is to ignore a command when it would lead the team into danger. For example, if a blind person tells a guide dog to go forward when there is a car coming, the dog will disobey the command. Although they are disobeying the command, they are doing exactly what they are trained to do. Dogs don’t actually have a concept of obedience or disobedience—they think in pictures. Through thorough and consistent conditioning they learn to pay attention and to go forward when the command is given, as long as it is safe to proceed. Many of our graduates have shared with us how their “disobedient” dogs have saved their lives because they refused to go forward in an unsafe situation. Praise from the handler tells them that they are not being disobedient at all, but actually GOOD DOGS! Always Room for One More A dog, a bird, a cat, two kids…Puppy Walker Julie Ranieri had a full house before she and her family took on their first puppy from the Guide Dog Foundation in 2003. Since then, she’s puppy walked five dogs, and all have gotten along with her existing pets (which now include two cats). Phyllis Argyros, the Foundation’s puppy office coordinator, says that when she’s at a speaking engagement, one of the first questions she’s asked is if it’s all right for puppy walkers to have other pets in the house. The answer is usually yes. After a potential puppy walker has gone through the orientation program, a puppy advisor visits their home for an evaluation; part of this assessment is to determine the temperament of any existing pets in the house. Because of their potential careers, a behavior that is fine for a pet may not be acceptable for a future guide dog, and it is important to remember that this is not a regular house pet. Argyros, herself a veteran puppy walker who at one time had three of her own dogs and a Foundation puppy, says, “It’s interesting with other pets. You’re asking one dog to behave differently from another dog,” but adds that in training a future guide dog, puppy walkers often enhance their own pets’ training. Ranieri first became a puppy walker after she saw an ad in her local “weekly shopper” and wanted to get involved. She had no concerns about bringing a new dog into her home because she loves animals, but she also learned the best way for Princess, her mixed-breed dog, and the new puppy to meet. When her puppy advisor brought Radar, her first Guide Dog pup, the two dogs came together on “neutral territory,” outside the house. They introduced themselves by sniffing each other, Ranieri says, and everything went fine. Princess will play with the pups, but “she sets boundaries. Every dog that has come in knows she’s the alpha dog.” The cats do their own thing. Since that first puppy, Ranieri has had four other pups, and right now, she is puppy walking two, including Monte, a Lab/Poodle cross. They can be a handful, but Ranieri says she doesn’t do it all alone. Her two kids, Amanda, 13, and Jessica, 10, help out whenever they can. According to Argyros, “The three of them work really well together. Julie understands what the Foundation is all about and knows what we want. She’s aware of the end results,” and that no matter what its career, an assistance dog enhances the quality of life for someone who needs it. After Monte was called in for training, it was determined he would make an excellent capable canine. Capable Canine®, the Foundation’s service dog program, provides dogs for people with needs other than visual impairment. He’s back with the Ranieris to spend some extra time getting ready for his career as a capable canine. “You want [the dog] to do good for someone else,” says Ranieri. It makes her feel proud that Monte will be a capable canine, and adds that it’s nice that a Foundation puppy has so many career paths. Two of the other dogs she puppy walked are working guides. As attached as she gets to the puppies, ultimately, Ranieri says, “We’re lucky. I’m glad I can help someone.” The accompanying photo shows Monte, a black Lab/Poodle cross with his head resting on Princess, the Ranieris’ dog, and the caption reads: Monte and Princess enjoy a relaxing moment. Recent graduates Richard Benoit Guide Dog: Lily Florida Patricia Blum Guide Dog: Dot Hawaii Todd Bowen Guide Dog: Annie Florida Steven Cahn Guide Dog: Sara Illinois Linda Errante Guide Dog: Ester New York Susan Fink Guide Dog: Coy New York Carolyn Giambalvo Guide Dog: Fran New York Cynthia Kelly Guide Dog: Shawnee Montana Kim Law Guide Dog: Effy Florida Mike Lore Capable Canine – Service: Ami New York Yolaine Mary Guide Dog: Thomas New York Albert McCray Guide Dog: Tabby Florida Jason Morris Guide Dog: Vinnie North Carolina David Neal Guide Dog: Lucky Delaware Stanley Pawloski Guide Dog: Irv Virginia Karen Perlman Guide Dog: Bill New York Tracy Rau Guide Dog: Porter Indiana San Simeon by the Sound Capable Canine – Facility: Fred New York Steven Scott Guide Dog: Lenny New York David Smolka Guide Dog: Earl Illinois Jennifer Spence-Reid Guide Dog: Tom West Virginia Joyce Williamson Guide Dog: Susie Washington State Jean Wright Guide Dog: Max Minnesota Planned Giving 101 by Jeff Bressler In many of my columns, we look in depth at specific planned giving vehicles. In this issue of The Guideway, I will step back and give an overall layman’s view on exactly what is meant by “planned giving.” Planned giving, or charitable gift planning, refers to the process of making a charitable gift of estate assets to one or more nonprofit organizations. This important gift requires consideration and planning in light of the donor’s overall financial and/or estate plan. Such gifts usually include legal documents and an understanding of tax law. Because of the size and potential impact of such gifts, a donor should consult with his or her professional financial advisor or attorney before completing the process. Planned gifts are usually deferred, meaning they are arranged today but fulfilled later. For example, a person could include a provision in his or her will to make a bequest to a charitable organization. That arrangement would be a “planned” gift. Or, a person might establish a charitable trust that could provide income to the donor or someone else, such as a spouse, for a period of time, usually for life. After this gift-deferral period, the trust would mature and the remaining assets would go to one or more charities. This is called a charitable remainder trust. Another kind of planning device allows a donor to place assets in a trust that pays out income to charity for a period of years. Then, when this trust matures, whatever is left goes back to the donor or to someone else stipulated by the donor. This is called a charitable lead trust. The charitable gift annuity is another deferred gift instrument. This is popular with many donors because it represents a lifetime contract between the donor and a charity, and because it is relatively simple to understand and establish. For example, a donor gives $25,000 to the Guide Dog Foundation and receives, in return, a set amount of money every year for the rest of his or her life. The donor also has the choice of naming someone else as the annuitant to receive the annuity payments. Planned gifts can be revocable, such as in a will bequest, or irrevocable as in a charitable gift annuity. Even though a deferred gift may not actually benefit a charity for many years, the gift arrangement can generate an immediate income tax charitable deduction because the future gift has been established and cannot be recalled. On the other hand, revocable gifts do not provide immediate tax benefits. Our Web site (www.guidedog.org) has a comprehensive overview of charitable gift planning, but if you’d prefer, we can mail you some detailed information for your review. Please call me at 866-282-8045, and I will be happy to answer any questions you have about planned giving. Jeff Bressler is the chief marketing officer for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. Clarification: Our column on donations, receipts, and record keeping in the Fall 2006 Guideway, inadvertently omitted some information regarding gifts over $500 and $5000. We thank Mr. James Cantrell for alerting us to this oversight. Always consult with your financial or tax advisor, or check the relevant IRS publications before making any decisions regarding your estate plan. Recognition Day Saturday, June 2 Smithtown, New York Join us as we honor our supporters and volunteers for their valuable roles in helping the Guide Dog Foundation fulfill its mission Volunteers Registration – 10 a.m. Recognition Ceremony – 11 a.m. Lunch – noon Lions Registration – 11:30 a.m. Lunch – noon Recognition Ceremony – 1:15 p.m. For more information, please call 631.930.9000 On the back cover, in a graphic shaped like a dog house, with two dog bowls and a bone in front… Do you want to see what goes on at the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind? Call us at 1-866-282-8045 or 631-930-9050 to make a reservation for a tour of our 8-acre Smithtown, New York campus. You’ll learn about the Foundation’s history, get to see the training areas, the puppy nursery, and maybe even a puppy or two. The Guideway®, the official newsletter of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc.®, is published quarterly and is available in print, on cassette, and on our Web site. We welcome letters, articles or photographs, but reserve the right to refuse any material. The Foundation’s postal address is 371 E. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, NY 11787-2976. Phone: 631.930.9000 or 1.800.548.4337. The Web site: www.guidedog.org. William Krol, editor.