Megan and Woodstock

Meet Graduate Megan

Graduate Team:  Megan and Woodstock
About the Team:  Woodstock: yellow male Lab; Megan’s 2nd Guiding Eyes dog
Hometown:  Marietta, Georgia
Training: November 2024 On-Campus  

Megan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Piedmont University and a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from Winthrop University. She has worked for over 17 years as an Auto Finance Account Manager. Woodstock enjoys going to work each day with Megan and joins her retired Guiding Eyes guide dog, Nathan at home. Ironically, Megan has been a member of the Lions Club in Woodstock, Georgia, since 2021 and is currently President. She enjoys participating in their many service activities, such as vision screenings. An avid golfer, last year Megan joined the United States Blind Golf Association, and she and friends started a group for blind and visually impaired golfers called the Flying Golf Gurus. Retired pros or coaches assist by teaching visually impaired golfers. Megan is also a classically trained pianist who enjoys various music genres, including jazz, R&B, country music, and songs from the 1960s to the 1990s.

How would you describe your guide dog?  “Woodstock is very sweet and smart and enjoys learning new things. He’s also playful, athletic, focused, and well-behaved. When out walking we get compliments that we look good together.  He is longer and taller than my previous guide and walks with purpose at a confident pace beside me.  We’re perfectly matched.  He is a well-trained dog.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes?  “I had heard good things about Guiding Eyes from a couple of acquaintances who had received dogs from Guiding Eyes.  I wanted a school that was a distance from my home, where I could just concentrate on training with my new dog. I really felt a connection with the Guiding Eyes staff person who called upon receiving my application. The representative who came to my home to interview me explained the next steps to apply.”

How has a guide dog impacted your life? “Nathan, and now Woodstock, have greatly affected my life by allowing me to have the confidence to go to places I wouldn’t ordinarily go by myself, like Marietta Square to walk and shop. Going to doctor or ophthalmology appointments with my guide dog not only gets me across the street but into the building and to the elevator. It is an extra layer of confidence for me.”

Were there any training highlights?  “It was very nice to work with Kat again.  The trip to Beacon by train was fun. People were walking around us, and Woodstock didn’t get distracted then, or at lunch in a restaurant in Yorktown, even though he was the youngest dog in our class.  At the school, Chef Rob was amazing, the food was great, and the dining staff was welcoming, even helping you find a seat. Thinking about my stay reminds me of the phrase, ‘It takes a village.’  It’s a whole process with staff, trainers, puppy raisers, nurses, and all the office work, like travel. The staff instills trust. The trainers know how to train dogs, but they also know how to train people. Guiding Eyes not only provides a dog – but they also want your experience to be comfortable. It is the one place I can go to be treated like I happen to be legally blind, but I can still be myself.”

Meet Guide Dog Woodstock

DOB: 11/27/2022
Litter ID: 6W322
Color/Breed:  Yellow/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Male
Brood: Raelyn
Stud: Donny
Littermates: Winnie, Wasabi, Widget, Wind, Wizard, Wonka
Region:  Montgomery
Regional Puppy Instructor: Jeanyne Gembarski
Puppy Raiser:  Ann McDermott
Facebook: Montgomery Puppy Raisers

From the Puppy Raiser…

Woodstock is an easygoing dog who likes to wag his tail and interact with people and other dogs. As a puppy, he lived with another Lab named Ranger, a cat named Petey, and a lady named Ann. They had fun going on walks and playing together as Woodstock learned and grew. Woodstock went on a few road trips and visited the mountains and the beach a few times. He also enjoyed going for walks close to home and playing with other dogs. He enjoyed going to puppy class and to many community outings with other puppies in training. Have fun with Woodstock. May he be a great partner and friend!  ~Ann McDermott

Photos of the Team…