Terri and Trinket

Meet Graduate Terri

Graduate Team:  Terri and Trinket
About the Team:  Trinket: female black Labrador Retriever;  Terri’s 1st guide dog
Location:  Las Vegas, Nevada
Training: October 2024 On-Campus

Terri is an avid ultramarathon runner and participates in tandem cycling events with her husband, as well. Terri has put a professional career aside to be a stay-at-home mom, which has afforded her the opportunity to pursue her passions like running, riding, and writing as Blind Mother Runner. She currently works part-time as a social media content creator and dabbles in motivational speaking/consulting/coaching. Terri has served two terms on the Board of the National Federation of the Blind. She is originally from California, where she attended school, but she completed her blind training and orientation and mobility in Louisiana. She and her husband are the parents of two active teenagers. Terri and her family enjoy camping and exploring National Parks together in their camper van, often spending weeks at a time. Now, guide dog Trinket will be joining them on their family adventures.

 How would you describe your guide dog? “Trinket is wonderful and lovable!  She loves to run with me, so running is a happy place for both of us.   When she runs, she has what we have come to call her ‘happy pace face’.  Trinket’s second favorite activity is cuddling.  If someone is sitting on the floor, she will immediately curl up in their lap.  She also likes to help with laundry by grabbing socks from the dryer.  So, she is pretty funny too!”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes?  “I am a runner and was excited by the possibility of having a specially trained guide dog to run with me.  I followed Thomas Panek’s (Guiding Eyes President & CEO) journey of running the NYC Half-Marathon and other races with guide dogs.  I was able to meet with Thomas and hear about his experience firsthand. It was the Guiding Eyes Running Guides program that distinguished the school from others, and I knew it was exactly what I was looking for – a guide dog specially trained to suit my active lifestyle.”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life?  “It has only been a couple of months that Trinket and I have been working together and she has already had a significant impact on me! Together we run 3 to 5 miles several times a week.  I love the independence of being able to run with her and not having to depend on the availability of a sighted guide. I am experiencing newfound freedom. I can now run on the streets outside of my development.”

Were there any training highlights? “I trained at the Guiding Eyes campus and two events really stood out as highlights for me.  The first was when Trinket and I went on a run together.  It felt so natural and fluid. It was as if Trinket knew she was exactly what I needed. The second highlight was the day Trinket and I, along with our trainer, hiked at a nearby state park. I hike a lot with my family, and I am accustomed to following them and struggling with my cane to stay on the trail. This hike was completely different. Trinket and I were in the front. It was a beautiful fall day; leaves were practically raining down on us, and it felt like a magical three miles. Trinket easily kept me on the trail despite it being covered in leaves.”

Meet Guide Dog Trinket

DOB:  8/3/2022
Litter ID: 8TT22
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Female
Brood: Winter
Stud: Dover
Littermates: Tina, Tory, Tanya, Timothy, Tremaine, Trixie, Tammy
Region:  Cleveland West, Remote
Regional Puppy Instructor: Macy Nauman, Leslie Stephens
Puppy Raiser:  Bryan Carolin
Facebook: Ohio Puppy Raisers

From the Puppy Raiser…

Raising Trinket as a pup was like having a furry little shadow. She was an energetic puppy, eager to learn and explore. An adventurous dog whose favorite place was next to your side. ~ Bryan Carolin

Photos of the Team…