Local Nonprofit Needs Volunteer Puppy Raisers to Train Life-Changing Guide Dogs

For more than 50 years, Guide Dogs of the Desert has been transforming lives by training and providing service dogs to the visually impaired. Now, this local nonprofit is calling on the community for help.

The organization is seeking volunteer puppy raisers — dedicated individuals who can foster and train puppies before they're paired with their future handlers. According to Community Engagement Director Caryn Gates, getting these dogs trained early is crucial to the program's success.

While puppy raising is an unpaid position, longtime volunteer Lisa says the rewards go far beyond a paycheck. "When you see the dogs and how they grow and change and the impacts that they make, it's hard not to want to do this," she explains in the full story above.

Watch the video above to hear more from volunteers about what it takes to raise a guide dog and see these remarkable animals in action.

Those interested in becoming a puppy raiser or learning more about the program can visit guidedogsofthedesert.org.