Puppy Raisers of the University of Delaware
About
PRoUD is a Registered Student Organization (RSO) that raises puppies for The Seeing Eye. The club consists of puppy raisers, puppy sitters, and members that support our cause and philanthropy. Our job with our puppies is to expose them to as many situations as possible in order to prepare them for their future job as guide dogs for the blind. Having the puppies on campus is especially beneficial as we can bring them to class, meetings, and campus events where they get a lot of great exposure! Our club has special approved housing on campus where our puppies live with us - The Courtyards. It is a very time-consuming commitment, as our raisers are responsible for the puppy's complete care, as well as basic obedience and manners.
The pups raised by PRoUD come from The Seeing Eye, which has a single location in Morristown, NJ. The Seeing Eye was established in 1929 and is the oldest guide dog school in the WORLD!! The Seeing Eye breeds and trains its own Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Lab-Golden Crosses to become guide dogs for the visually impaired. It is also a trademark, so only dogs from The Seeing Eye can be called Seeing Eye dogs! The Seeing Eye relies on volunteers to raise their puppies in a loving environment until the dog is old enough to return to the school for formal training by their instructors. Volunteers receive a puppy when it is around 7 weeks old and typically keep them until it is 13 to 15 months old. During this time, the puppy raisers give the dogs affection, teach them basic obedience, and expose them to a variety of social situations. Raising puppies is expensive, but luckily The Seeing Eye pays for all medical bills and even provides a stipend for dog food!
PRoUD holds bi-monthly meetings on the 1st Tuesday and 3rd Sunday of every month to provide training and socialization for puppies (and members)! Additional weekly trips and events are held to help expose the puppies to a variety of social situations, sights, sounds, and smells. Examples include shopping malls, movie theaters, libraries, sporting events, community events, parks, and museums.
Please visit our website, udpuppyclub.com, for more information!
To stay up to date with PRoUD and become involved, go check out our social media sites:
Like our Facebook page, facebook.com/puppyraisersofud!
Follow us on Instagram, @proudpups!