Leader Dogs Center Holds Annual Fundraiser

SHELBY TWP. (WWJ) - It's one of the oldest Leader Dog Centers in the world and the Rochester-based organization is holding its 20th Anniversary Dinner on Saturday.

WWJ's Kathryn Larson had the opportunity to watch as the program's seeing eye dogs met with their new owners at a park in Shelby Township.

"They end up knowing your routes, they end up knowing your body language, and they're way smarter than canes and way cuter," said Tina Mintz, from Montreal.

Mintz has just met her fourth seeing eye dog, Annebelle.

"We're starting to get to know each other and a walk like this, in the freedom where there's no traffic, no big dangers or anything, we get to understand each other's pace, what our body movements mean, what they might not mean, and it's a learning, the whole thing is a learning process," Mintz said.

Mintz is one of 16 from across the globe in the leader dog for the blind's month-long school. The lesson at Shelby Township's Metro Park is on that class coordinator Richard Michaels says is an eye-opener, for man and dog.

"Some of our clients have never, ever walked this fast before independently and have never walked with a dog before. So, for them to feel this independence they get and just the wind in their hair," Michaels said.

At this point in the class, the dogs have only been with their owners for a few days now, but they were with host families far before that.

In fact, for a year-and-a-half they had to learn how to become the leader. And becoming the leader wasn't cheap.

"It's total cost to the stage we're at today is $35,000 to $40,000," said Michaels.

Michales said this program gives the blind an opportunity to see the world like never before.

The annual fundraising event, Leader Dog Around the World, will be held Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Palazzo Grande in Shelby Township at 6 p.m. Tickets are $125 and $150.

For more information, visit www.leaderdog.org.