Speaker 1: It's Maria's MUDs and Stuff.
Speaker 2: What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1: Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff. And with me today
Speaker 1: is Jim Kessler, who is the director of Instructions and
Speaker 1: Training at the Seeing Eye in Marstown, New Jersey. So
Speaker 1: thank you so much, Jim. I know I've been such
Speaker 1: a big fan of the Seeing I for so many years,
Speaker 1: and I'm just so happy that you and I ran
Speaker 1: into each other late last year and now I can
Speaker 1: talk to you about the organization. So thank you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, happy to be here. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1: Yeah, So I and I didn't realize it because I
Speaker 1: feel like I grew up knowing about the Seeing Eye
Speaker 1: and I just I was looking on your website. You've
Speaker 1: been around since nineteen twenty nine. Last year was the
Speaker 1: ninety fifth anniversary. That's incredible.
Speaker 2: Yeah. We were the first school, first school in the world.
Speaker 2: Uh huh, had over eighteen thousand, five hundred partnerships.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Speaker 2: Since we were created in nineteen twenty nine. Approximately, we
Speaker 2: have about fifteen hundred active students. And what I mean
Speaker 2: by active students are individuals who are using names Seeing
Speaker 2: on our dogs currently and we serve We served the
Speaker 2: entire North America, so the United States and Canada. So
Speaker 2: we have students who come and are trained here on
Speaker 2: our property in Morristown, New Jersey.
Speaker 1: Right right, I mean that's incredible. How did it all
Speaker 1: begin way back when in nineteen twenty nine?
Speaker 2: Oh, it started back in nineteen twenty nine with the
Speaker 2: two big names that are familiar with our history and
Speaker 2: are founding are both Morris Frank and Dorothy Harrison Eustace.
Speaker 2: Dorothy was a She was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was
Speaker 2: very in tune and loved the German shepherd as breed.
Speaker 2: Morris Frank travels to they They, Switzerland and is trained
Speaker 2: with the first seeing eye dog named named Buddy. The
Speaker 2: original name was Kiss, and he decided he didn't want
Speaker 2: to have a dog named Kiss, so he changed dogs Buddy,
Speaker 2: and all his dogs and all his dogs after that
Speaker 2: were named Buddy. Oh wow, okay, yeah. Both Morris Frank
Speaker 2: and Dorothy they you know, what they did pretty much
Speaker 2: started the entire guide dog movement worldwide. And the efforts
Speaker 2: that they put in are what are what are graduates
Speaker 2: are a direct result of what our graduates get today
Speaker 2: by coming to the C and I getting pared getting
Speaker 2: matched to one of our dogs.
Speaker 1: Sure, so okay, So tell me what is a day
Speaker 1: in the life for you Jim Kestler Like, how does
Speaker 1: your day start? What is what does it entail for you?
Speaker 1: With the Seeing Eye dog.
Speaker 2: I started my career here twenty four years ago. I
Speaker 2: started as an as an apprentice, or there's when you
Speaker 2: become and when you become an instructor, you start you
Speaker 2: have a three year apprenticeship that you learn. It's all
Speaker 2: on the job training. Like I came from a completely
Speaker 2: different background. Oh, I used to work in New York City.
Speaker 2: Were used to work in New York City. I had
Speaker 2: no dog training experience, yeah, pet dogs and I was
Speaker 2: growing up. I had no dog training experience. So you
Speaker 2: learn everything here on the job, everything about dogs, training,
Speaker 2: working with students. So, and my job now as director
Speaker 2: of the department is you know, we have twenty five instructors.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Speaker 2: That and we have five teams, five teams of five instructors.
Speaker 2: And these instructors are all at different stages. So it
Speaker 2: takes four months to train one of our dogs to
Speaker 2: become a guide being matched with somebody, so in they're
Speaker 2: reaching different stages of the train. They're in the first
Speaker 2: month of training, second month, third month, and fourth month
Speaker 2: of training. And people are surprised when I say, okay,
Speaker 2: it takes People ask, oh, I want to take the
Speaker 2: train of dog a year, and I said, oh, it
Speaker 2: takes four months, and people are people are surprised at
Speaker 2: that that it takes such a short period of time
Speaker 2: because you know, these dogs have a very difficult job.
Speaker 1: Sure, that's a big job, big responsibility.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think I think collectively, uh, if
Speaker 2: you take all the jobs a dog can have, I
Speaker 2: think this is the most difficult job the doll can have,
Speaker 2: just be responsibility. Sure, and the pressure that these dogs,
Speaker 2: of course feel.
Speaker 1: Sure I get that.
Speaker 2: So yeah, so and I kind of not a kind
Speaker 2: of I did. I got off the question that you
Speaker 2: initially asked.
Speaker 1: Oh no, it's okay. Yeah, yeah, no, this is great.
Speaker 1: This is great because you're really giving us a slice
Speaker 1: into the life of what goes on for you as
Speaker 1: a trainer, but also what goes into making a dog
Speaker 1: into a seeing eye dog, which you know is a
Speaker 1: big responsibility for the dog because basically it's guiding and
Speaker 1: safe being someone's life. You know, there's a lot of
Speaker 1: decisions that that dog has to make so I get it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and you know we have you know, as
Speaker 2: an organization, our success rate is close it's in sixty percent.
Speaker 2: So it's and that's uh, that's that's good for uh standard,
Speaker 2: you know, industry wide. Sure, you know, not every dog
Speaker 2: can not every dog is cut out to do this.
Speaker 1: The sixty Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2: We breed all our own dogs here. We have you know,
Speaker 2: we have a breeding facility and we have a we
Speaker 2: have a you know, veterinary staff. We have full time
Speaker 2: geneticists on staff.
Speaker 1: Oh wow, Okay.
Speaker 2: People ask, you know, yeah, people ask why do you
Speaker 2: why do you breathe your own dogs? And it's it's
Speaker 2: for we have we're able to control, We're able to
Speaker 2: control comperment. Yeah, so it's it's a you know, before
Speaker 2: I got into this line of work, Marie, I was
Speaker 2: you know, I didn't I had no idea what was
Speaker 2: involved in it. You know, there's a there's a lot
Speaker 2: that goes into it. I mean, so you have you
Speaker 2: have a dog, a dog is trained to be a
Speaker 2: guide and somebody who someone who's blind, and there's certain
Speaker 2: things you have to think about, Yeah, think about when
Speaker 2: you're going into matching person. Okay, and the two things
Speaker 2: that are really most important to us or pace and pull.
Speaker 2: Me mean, how fast does the individual want to walk
Speaker 2: and how much pole do they want to feel on
Speaker 2: hardess harness. So, and what I mean by the harness
Speaker 2: is it's what dogs wear and it's the information. It's
Speaker 2: communication device between dog and handler. Correct, get to feel
Speaker 2: lateral moves, left, lateral moves to the right, speed up,
Speaker 2: slow down, they're able to feel that. So in our
Speaker 2: line of work, pace and pull are two most important things.
Speaker 2: And then you look at the lifestyle of the individual
Speaker 2: and what they do on a daily basis, and you
Speaker 2: make a match based on this these certain characteristics of
Speaker 2: dog in person to get the best match that you
Speaker 2: can correct every time. Now, we're not you know, we
Speaker 2: make mistakes, but you know that's the it happens.
Speaker 1: It happens, of course, but that's that's human nature and
Speaker 1: that's just life. I mean, yeah, yeah, it can't be
Speaker 1: one accurate all the time because you're not you're not
Speaker 1: a fortune teller, you know, who's to know?
Speaker 2: No, not exactly exactly. Yeah, So its how the process works.
Speaker 2: And I'll just go to a little more detail about
Speaker 2: So we every every month of the Seeing Eye. We
Speaker 2: have what we call a class and what and what
Speaker 2: that basically means is we have students from all over
Speaker 2: North America come to the Seeing Eye to be trained
Speaker 2: with a Seeing Eye dog. So these students can either
Speaker 2: be individuals who've had dogs before they're coming back to
Speaker 2: get a successor dogs. So there are returning students. Then
Speaker 2: we have students that have never had a dog before.
Speaker 2: So they come here campus and if they're returning students,
Speaker 2: they spend eighteen days. If they're a new student, they
Speaker 2: spend twenty five days. So and they're trained, so they
Speaker 2: live here on campus, they have their own room. We
Speaker 2: are able to really start the foundation build the relationship
Speaker 2: between the dog and the person. It's you know, is
Speaker 2: everything perfect after a month, No, but you you've laid
Speaker 2: the groundwork. So they come here to campus and they
Speaker 2: spend this time here and really it's it's a busy
Speaker 2: day for them. They're up at five thirty in the
Speaker 2: morning and they're you know, taking care of the dog,
Speaker 2: taking the dog out, feeding the dog. They have trips
Speaker 2: that they have to do with their instructor in the morning,
Speaker 2: a trip in the afternoon, and throughout the entire process
Speaker 2: they're learning things that are pertinent to guide you know,
Speaker 2: guide dog mobility. Sure, and it's a it's a great
Speaker 2: thing to watch. I've been doing this for twenty four
Speaker 2: years and it never gets never gets tiring to me.
Speaker 2: To you know, see students who you know, they come
Speaker 2: in on the first day, they're just meeting their dog,
Speaker 2: and then they leave after eighteen or twenty five days,
Speaker 2: and you see the relationship that's built between the dog
Speaker 2: and the person, right, and it's just it's great. I'm
Speaker 2: sure it's great to watch.
Speaker 1: It has to be heartwarming for you too, because you're
Speaker 1: part of that process.
Speaker 2: Oh no, agreed, Yeah, yeah, it's great.
Speaker 1: I'm sure. I know from you know, talking to organizations
Speaker 1: that supply service dogs to veterans with PTSD, and I
Speaker 1: feel it's it's probably the same exact thing for someone
Speaker 1: who doesn't have their sight that these dogs give them
Speaker 1: their life and give you know, the dog gives its life,
Speaker 1: but it makes people who do things that they would
Speaker 1: be limited to do, and so they get to live
Speaker 1: their life every day because of the dog, which is
Speaker 1: like phenomenal.
Speaker 2: Yea, yeah, I mean I trained a gentleman and he
Speaker 2: and I've known them. I known for a long time,
Speaker 2: and he said to me, wasn't for my seeing eye dog,
Speaker 2: I would not have I would not be the person
Speaker 2: I am today. Sure, and it's it's great.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and that must you know, it gives me a
Speaker 1: chill to hear it. Just but I can imagine how
Speaker 1: it must make you feel being so involved in that
Speaker 1: whole process. It's amazing. Yeah, yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 2: It's great.
Speaker 1: Yeah. So for someone who's listening and you know, thinking
Speaker 1: about needing a seeing eye dog, how would how would
Speaker 1: the process how would they start the process with the
Speaker 1: seeing eye.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so they would have to they fill out an
Speaker 2: application to you know, to apply, and there's you know,
Speaker 2: the application, and there's certain requirements that we require along
Speaker 2: with the application, and you know, one thing that's required
Speaker 2: is each of our each of our students have to
Speaker 2: have orientation of mobility. And what orientation mobility is is
Speaker 2: it's using a way using a king. So I mean
Speaker 2: you can either you can either use a dog or
Speaker 2: you can use a kne and there's differences between both,
Speaker 2: but you have to have those orientational mobility skills because
Speaker 2: they're applicable to your when you when you're using a
Speaker 2: same eye dog. So you fill out, you fill out
Speaker 2: the application and you know, just say, you fill out
Speaker 2: the application and you get accepted. Part of the process
Speaker 2: is we have an instructor come to their home environment
Speaker 2: and they do it in person interview. So you may ask, okay,
Speaker 2: what do you do with the in person interview? So
Speaker 2: as an instructor, it gives us the opportunity to see
Speaker 2: where the individual lives, what their lifestyle is like. But
Speaker 2: even more importantly, it gives us an opportunity to do
Speaker 2: a Juno walk. The instructor pretends to be a dog,
Speaker 2: meaning they take a harness and they walk with the
Speaker 2: individual to get one how much pole they want to
Speaker 2: feel in the harness? And two what speed they want
Speaker 2: to walk? Like I mentioned earlier, pay and pull the
Speaker 2: important criteria. Yeah, because the last thing we want to
Speaker 2: do is an organization, is give the dog that's too
Speaker 2: fast or slow or shows too little or pulls too much.
Speaker 2: Of course, so we do general walk and that also
Speaker 2: gives us the opportunity to see how the individual you know,
Speaker 2: follows a lot like how do they follow lateral moves?
Speaker 2: Do they follow lateral moves? The lateral moves, the left
Speaker 2: lateral moves to light, how do they do how they
Speaker 2: do when they're following the harness. So it's important criteria
Speaker 2: that we as an instructor gauge from this junal walk.
Speaker 2: So we go and we assess them in their home environment.
Speaker 2: Stay okay, We get all the information we need from it,
Speaker 2: and then when they're accepted into when they get accepted,
Speaker 2: that's when the process begins when we start looking for
Speaker 2: a match for them. So each month, like I said,
Speaker 2: a group of students from North America come to campus,
Speaker 2: comes to Morristown, New Jersey, and they're trained with their dog,
Speaker 2: and we have we have a class every month of
Speaker 2: the year. So January through December we have a class
Speaker 2: on campus. And then another thing I failed to mention
Speaker 2: is that you know we are we're a nonprofit organization. Yeah,
Speaker 2: we we don't rely on any funding from you know,
Speaker 2: the government, nor do we've any funding from the state.
Speaker 1: It's all it's all donations funding.
Speaker 2: It's all donations. And the cost of a cost of
Speaker 2: a Seeing Eye dog is approximately from costs to create
Speaker 2: each partnership is seventy five thousand dollars.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I figured that. Yeah, that's that's that's a lot.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a lot of money. Yeah. And since nineteen
Speaker 2: thirty three and we haven't changed this. The cost the
Speaker 2: cost for a cost for one of our students is
Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty dollars for the first time and
Speaker 2: fifty dollars for you turning student. Amazing, and since and
Speaker 2: since nineteen forty one, we charge one dollar for veterans. Wow,
Speaker 2: and that hasn't changed. That hasn't changed.
Speaker 1: Since nineteen forty one. That's a long time. Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: a long time.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Wow. Yeah, it's the symbol for us. It's it's
Speaker 2: they they have they have some ownership in this. They
Speaker 2: they you know, they you know, paid this fee and
Speaker 2: it's its ownership then. And that's one thing too about
Speaker 2: the Seeing Eye is when our graduates graduate and leave
Speaker 2: our students, they have full ownership of the dog, right,
Speaker 2: So it's their dog. So we as an organization, you know,
Speaker 2: that's we don't we don't retain ownership of the dog
Speaker 2: once you'll graduate that you still all the requirements, right,
Speaker 2: they have full ownership of the dog. And I failed
Speaker 2: to mention too pres the dogs, the breeds that we
Speaker 2: use are Labradors, Golden Retriever and German shepherds, and we
Speaker 2: cross a lab in Golden to get a cross breed, right,
Speaker 2: But those are those are the three predomintered breeds that
Speaker 2: we use.
Speaker 1: I was gonna say, is there a reason, but it's
Speaker 1: it just seems like those are the working dogs that
Speaker 1: seem that that can handle it, right.
Speaker 2: And somebody asked me, like somebody asked me, is like,
Speaker 2: why don't you use a husky? You know, you know,
Speaker 2: it's it's the three breeds that we use, the lab
Speaker 2: Golden and the shepherds. They they're the breeds that are
Speaker 2: you know, we feel, you know, that's best success.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's what you would go by. Yeah, I
Speaker 1: mean why would you. It's like if you have a
Speaker 1: product that works, right, if you were a manufacturer of
Speaker 1: a product, why would you change up your product if
Speaker 1: it works well and it works for people, right, So
Speaker 1: you know it makes sense. No, it makes sense. And
Speaker 1: I know that, you know, I mean, I do know
Speaker 1: this obviously. And I saw it also on your website
Speaker 1: that people can volunteer to raise the puppies. Is that correct?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, you're onred correct, and the puppy raisers are
Speaker 2: They're a huge, huge part of our mission at the
Speaker 2: Seeing Eye. So approximately five hundred puppies are born each
Speaker 2: year at the Seeing Eye. And what happens is that
Speaker 2: these puppies are born and you know, eight weeks of age,
Speaker 2: these volunt these families, these puppy raising families volunteer their
Speaker 2: services and their time, energy love to raise these puppies
Speaker 2: and they get them. They get the dogs about eight
Speaker 2: weeks of age and then they come back to the
Speaker 2: Seeing Eye and they're approximately say thirteen fourteen. These puppy
Speaker 2: is they put all the hard work in their house,
Speaker 2: breaking the dogs, the teaching the dog basic deedas and
Speaker 2: they're also they're also getting these dogs out into socializing them,
Speaker 2: getting them out into the real world to see how
Speaker 2: they react to certain things. And what happens is in
Speaker 2: different geographic area and geographic areas there is a club.
Speaker 2: So you belong to a club of puppy raisers. Guys
Speaker 2: meet weekly or you know every other week. And then
Speaker 2: they do outings where they go to see they go
Speaker 2: to New York City. And this is all important information
Speaker 2: for us because these families will fill out a report
Speaker 2: for their puppies saying and as when they come back
Speaker 2: to going to instruction. In the training instructors look at
Speaker 2: these reports and they get notes from these families showing
Speaker 2: certain things that the dog reacted to and just important,
Speaker 2: very important information for us when we go into the
Speaker 2: training of the dogs. And I used to say, if
Speaker 2: it wasn't for the puppy raisers, our ability to carry
Speaker 2: our mission would be very difficult. It would pretty much
Speaker 2: be impossible because the families the selfless dedication to the
Speaker 2: organization by raising these puppies, right, and then at you know,
Speaker 2: thirteen fourteen months, we're saying, okay, thanks, we're going to
Speaker 2: take the dog back. But what a lot of these
Speaker 2: families do is they repeat razors. So they raise a
Speaker 2: dog and then the raise.
Speaker 1: Another one one. Yeah, now, that's amazing, you need them.
Speaker 1: That's that's the whole start. So of course that makes sense.
Speaker 1: And I'm sorry because I'm not sure I heard it
Speaker 1: on my end, right, maybe not on yours. But when
Speaker 1: you said that they go from eight weeks and then
Speaker 1: they bring them back to you, what was the time
Speaker 1: period on that, because on my end to cut out.
Speaker 2: Oh, it was approximately thirteen to fourteen months of age.
Speaker 1: They come out Oh okay, wow, so they have Yeah,
Speaker 1: so they have that puppy for like almost a year.
Speaker 1: There's a lot of stuff they could do. Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: pretty incredible.
Speaker 2: Yeah, our family, my family, we've raised a puppy and
Speaker 2: it was it was a great experience for my kids.
Speaker 2: I'm sure still you know, they still talk about it. Yeah,
Speaker 2: and you know, you're doing something, you're doing something for
Speaker 2: the greater good by of course you raising this dog
Speaker 2: that in turn will eventually become a same I dog, right,
Speaker 2: And I.
Speaker 1: Would think that knowing that you're doing such a good
Speaker 1: deed is bigger than oh no, I'm sad because we
Speaker 1: have to give the dog back, right, But the bigger
Speaker 1: the bigger picture.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, but you're right, you're right. I mean
Speaker 2: there's still a lot of you know. What happens is
Speaker 2: so the the dog comes back and goes through it's
Speaker 2: four month of train four months of training, and then
Speaker 2: at the end of like probably about close to the
Speaker 2: end of the end of the fourth month, if the
Speaker 2: dog made it, If the dog made it, and it's
Speaker 2: going to be matched or yeah, it's going to be
Speaker 2: potentially matched. The family comes in. The family comes and
Speaker 2: observes the dog working with the instructors. They get they
Speaker 2: get the Yeah, they get the the end result, which
Speaker 2: is great, and there's oh yeah, there's tears chick of.
Speaker 1: Course, but of course because they're but they're part of
Speaker 1: the process. It's like they get they get to see
Speaker 1: the child graduate, which is pretty cool.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, and then you know, and the puppy
Speaker 2: raisers is there's there's there's a shortage and it's it's
Speaker 2: worldwide shortage of puppy raisers. And it seemed ever since COVID,
Speaker 2: ever since COVID, really okay, decline and puppy raisers, and
Speaker 2: it's huge. It's it's a huge undertaking for some family,
Speaker 2: right right. The reward of course, of course.
Speaker 1: Well, I think for anyone who's listening and is in
Speaker 1: the area, they can go to seeingi dot org and
Speaker 1: it's right there on your website if they'd like to
Speaker 1: be a puppy raiser. So I think, uh, because I
Speaker 1: know people who are listening right now, I know that
Speaker 1: they love dogs and puppies and doing good for the world.
Speaker 1: So that would be really cool if we got you
Speaker 1: some more razors. So SEEINGI dot org. So I I
Speaker 1: have to talk to you about this because I know
Speaker 1: it bothers me whenever I see someone with it, and
Speaker 1: I'm sure it makes you crazier. You know that anyone,
Speaker 1: right can go online and pay like whatever money it
Speaker 1: is to get a vest for their dog. So this
Speaker 1: way they can say, oh, this is my therapy dog,
Speaker 1: so they can take a dog on a plane or
Speaker 1: a restaurant. And that must make you as angry as
Speaker 1: it makes me. Correct.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yes, it's so wrong.
Speaker 1: It's yeah, no, it's just so wrong. Yeah, I know,
Speaker 1: I know.
Speaker 2: You know, our graduates, they you know, they have to
Speaker 2: you know, certain things. It's you know, to go on
Speaker 2: a plane, they have to fill out of course paperworkane, right,
Speaker 2: and why you know, like why why why should they
Speaker 2: have to fill out the paperwork?
Speaker 1: Right?
Speaker 2: You know, for the Department of transmiss they fill out
Speaker 2: a form. And you talk about like even like getting
Speaker 2: into like the ride share like lift and Uber, the denials,
Speaker 2: Like what happens. What's happening is, you know, they'll they'll
Speaker 2: pull up, they'll see somebody has a seeing eye dog
Speaker 2: and they just they just pull away and they deny
Speaker 2: them because it's having a dog, and it's it's a
Speaker 2: very terrible, big point of frustration, big point of frustration,
Speaker 2: and it's it's so unfortunate that it's happening. But we're
Speaker 2: making inroads, Like we have a department here, we're trying
Speaker 2: to make inroads in that to see, you know, we
Speaker 2: can fix that problem. Yeah.
Speaker 1: There, I hope so, because it's very frustrating for me,
Speaker 1: especially when you hear, you know, you hear it on
Speaker 1: like news or something that they're or whatever service animal
Speaker 1: on an airplane bit someone and it's like right there,
Speaker 1: the first thing that goes off in my head is like, yeah,
Speaker 1: because it wasn't a service dog, you know.
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1: Yeah, So well.
Speaker 2: To make it difficult for people, it makes it difficult
Speaker 2: for people like our graduates who have legitimate.
Speaker 1: Exactly know, for the people who really need the dog. Yes, yes,
Speaker 1: but I'm glad that you're making inroads on that because
Speaker 1: that's good because sometimes people can be very selfish and
Speaker 1: self centered, and I'm glad you're you're making inroads on them.
Speaker 1: That's good. That's a very good thing. So, Jim, this
Speaker 1: is really so fascinating and so wonderful for all the
Speaker 1: things that you do, and and like you said, you
Speaker 1: guys you survive on donations. So for anyone who's listening, right,
Speaker 1: No donation is ever too small or too large. Correct. Yeah,
Speaker 1: So I mean go to SEEINGIY dot org. I love
Speaker 1: the fact that on your website it says if you can,
Speaker 1: you can plan an event that will benefit Seeing I,
Speaker 1: which is great too, like a fundraiser and your school
Speaker 1: or you know, in your town. So, uh, I just
Speaker 1: I'm fascinated by everything. I love that you know you
Speaker 1: had the time because I know how your schedule is
Speaker 1: and you know you're raising you're raising these dogs and
Speaker 1: training them and it's it's just incredible. Thank you for
Speaker 1: taking the time out to talk about the Seeing.
Speaker 2: Eye My pleasure. It's always something easy to talk about. Uh,
Speaker 2: you know, something that you know I've been doing for
Speaker 2: so long, and it's I find it easy to talk about,
Speaker 2: and it's I'm very fortunate to work at this organization
Speaker 2: and you know, just a leader with a couple just
Speaker 2: couple of things. So you know, Seeing Eye is like
Speaker 2: we're a trademark. Like not every dog out there is
Speaker 2: a Seeing Eye dog. Although people in the public they
Speaker 2: see a guide dog and they're like, oh, that's the
Speaker 2: Seeing I dog. It's right, it's not. It's similar to
Speaker 2: like when people say, oh, go make a xerox or
Speaker 2: give me are exactly.
Speaker 1: I was just going to say that about Kleenex. That's
Speaker 1: so funny and it's a tissue, but yeah, you're right,
Speaker 1: that's branding, right.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And these these are the only the only dogs
Speaker 2: from our program can be holed scene our dog right.
Speaker 2: So and also, and for the people who are listening,
Speaker 2: I say, you know, if you're if you ever encounter
Speaker 2: one of our graduates or anybody working with a guide dog,
Speaker 2: you know, please don't go up and distract the dog.
Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, that's right.
Speaker 2: These dogs, these dogs are have a tough job and
Speaker 2: they need to stay focused on. Of course, I know
Speaker 2: it's easy to all these dogs are so cute you
Speaker 2: want to go pet unders.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but they're working.
Speaker 2: It's you know, it's just yeah, they're working dogs.
Speaker 1: They're working.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I'm glad you brought that up because I completely forgot
Speaker 1: about that. But you're absolutely right. That's such a good
Speaker 1: point because it would be the same as if you're
Speaker 1: you see a construction guy raising a forklift, you wouldn't
Speaker 1: go over to him and say, hey, can I talk
Speaker 1: to you a second? Because he's working. These dogs are working,
Speaker 1: they're not there for you to pet. Go to a
Speaker 1: shelter and pet those dogs. Yeah, you're one thousand percent
Speaker 1: on that one. I'm glad you brought that up. That's
Speaker 1: a really really good point. Well, Jim Cassler, thank you
Speaker 1: so much. I hope you continue to keep working all right.
Speaker 1: I don't think you have any plans to retire, right
Speaker 1: because you love what you do and that they always
Speaker 1: say to do that, right, love what you do and
Speaker 1: do what you love. And it sounds like that's what
Speaker 1: your your career has been, which is very very cool.
Speaker 1: Uh And and I thank you so For those who
Speaker 1: want to help out a donation, learn more, just go
Speaker 1: to SEEINGI dot org. Jim, thank you so much
Speaker 2: My pleasure, Thank you so much,