Melanie and Kendall

Meet Graduate Melanie

Graduate Team: Melanie and Kendall
About the Team: Kendall, a female yellow lab, is Melanie’s 5th guide dog
Location: Wallingford, Connecticut
Training: December 2024 Home Training

Melanie is retired from her career as a geologist. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster and a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut. She and her husband, also a retired geologist, reside in an independent and assisted living facility with their parakeet, and Melanie participates in a group for individuals with low vision. Before moving to the assisted living home, Melanie actively enjoyed the outdoors, whether kayaking in the marshes of southern Connecticut, rowing in Guilford, or swimming with her previous guide dogs. Now, as life has slowed down and such activities have become more difficult, she’s taking the time to notice more of her surroundings from a different perspective. Melanie loves walking Kendall and reading extensively about natural history, the Civil War, and World War II. Melanie loves spending time with her children when they visit from Boston and Alabama, and she has four sisters she keeps in touch with who live across the country.

How would you describe your guide dog? “She’s extremely sweet, gentle, sensitive, and loves to be loved. She follows me everywhere, even into the bathroom, lying on the bathmat and sticking her head under the shower curtain. Kendall and I bonded immediately. She also loves to cuddle up and lick me. She’s a good, intelligent dog. She’ll walk right up to my mailbox at the post office. Kendall gets excited to see people I know because she can tell that they’re dog lovers.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I wanted to get a guide dog from Guiding Eyes. I liked that the school was informal because the idea of getting dressed up for dinner was unappealing to someone like me from the country. Back then, I was at the school for 28 days. I learned what to do and what not to do. I was fascinated by everything that went into it. I had a good experience, and it was relaxed, in addition to the training being good. This time, I was thrilled to get Kathy Rooney as my trainer for Home Training because she’s thorough and explains everything.”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “It’s allowed me to get out and do a lot more than I would have. It’s an icebreaker when meeting people, too. With Kendall, I enjoy going down to the pavilion and the pond down the street from me. We also go to the gazebo and sit on the bench to birdwatch.”

Were there any training highlights? “The new commands are terrific. I like the way that the trainer explained things explicitly, like the things I was doing wrong and what to change. She also helped me with what to look for when I got into situations and how to handle it. I appreciate how intuitive they are at Guiding Eyes when teaching commands. They also encourage us to call with any questions or problems.”

Meet Guide Dog Kendall

DOB:  2/25/2022
Litter ID: 1K22
Color/Breed:  Yellow/Labrador
Gender: female
Brood: Hetty
Stud: Baron
Littermates: Klondike, Keanu, Kathy, Kay, Kismet, Kokomo, Kansas, Kirk
Region:  Adirondack NY
Regional Puppy Instructor: Kate Gardner
Puppy Raiser:  Isabelle Layer
Facebook: Adirondack Puppy Raisers

Photos of the Team…