Marla, age six months, is training with local volunteers for Guiding Eyes for the Blind to work as a guide dog for a blind master. Photo by Ann Vernon
Leading the fast break, Marla, age six months, is training with local volunteers for Guiding Eyes for the Blind to work as a Guide Dog for a blind master. The pup enjoyed a weekend break with Ann Vernon in Mount Vernon while Springfield resident Sharyn Cain tended to Vernon's pup in training, Parsely, a yellow lab, during a training phase called puppy swap where the pups experience different environments as they progress toward certification as a guide dog. Visit guidingeyes.org for more information about the accredited nonprofit group that seeks more volunteers to provide guide dogs for free to people with vision loss, as well as service dogs to children with autism.