It’s International Guide Dog Day! Please share this video and encourage people to support The Seeing Eye. You can volunteer to help raise Seeing Eye puppies or make a donation by going to SeeingEye.org.
Descriptive Transcript
A German Shepherd dog on a big fluffy bed gazes toward the camera with his ears pointed. Beside him is a toy bone.
Haben (voiceover): Is this a guide dog or a Seeing Eye dog? Let’s learn the facts so we don’t step on any paws.
Haben Girma, a Black woman in her thirties with long dark hair, wears a colorful dress. She stands in front of closed blue curtains, speaking to the camera.
Haben: There are schools all over the world that train dogs to guide blind people, but the oldest school is called The Seeing Eye, and it’s in Morristown, New Jersey. Only dogs from The Seeing Eye should be called Seeing Eye dogs.
Danielle Burton, a white woman in her thirties with long brown hair, wears a floral vest over a pink shirt, light-colored pants, and a backpack with an attached dog bowl. She walks while holding the leather harness connecting her to her Seeing Eye dog.
Danielle (voiceover): Danielle is walking down an unpaved road. She is being guided by her Seeing Eye dog Violet, who is a black Labrador Retriever. Violet is navigating various obstacles.
Violet steps cautiously on a forest trail covered in twigs and roots. Above them, the treetops glow golden in the evening sun.
The video returns to Haben speaking.
Haben: Because of our civil rights laws, just about anywhere the public can go guide dogs can go. I was at a cafe the other day and they said no dogs allowed. But someone else in line saw this and they spoke up and said actually, you have to allow service dogs. This is a service dog. I love when bystanders become allies! You help make our world more accessible when you advocate for the people around you.
Kiran Kaja, a tall man in his forties with medium brown skin and short black hair, wears a blue shirt, light-colored pantss, and a backpack. He walks with a Golden Retriever Seeing Eye dog.
Kiran (voiceover): My guide dog India is professionally trained by The Seeing Eye to help blind people like me independently navigate the world. Here he is confidently guiding me through a produce aisle in the grocery store without getting distracted by all the fresh food around him.
India walks beside open refrigerated shelves of vegetables. He continues past Haben and Mylo, her German Shepherd Seeing Eye dog, and India stays entirely focused on guiding Kiran.
The video cuts to a commuter train pulling into a station. Haben stands on the platform with her Seeing Eye dog Mylo.
Haben (voiceover): Lots of dogs can memorize routes, but Seeing Eye dogs are so well trained they can guide in places they’ve never been before. Seeing Eye dog Mylo takes cues from me. I need to know which train to take, and once it arrives then I can tell him to help us find the door.
When Haben gestures with her hand Mylo swiftly guides them to the nearest door. He waits for her to find the step, and then they both climb inside the train.
The video cuts to Haben speaking.
Haben: Thousands of hours and dollars go into training these amazing dogs. The Seeing Eye is a registered charity, and if you’d like to make a donation or volunteer your time, go to SeeingEye.org. It’s International Guide Dog Day, so please share this video and encourage people to support The Seeing Eye.