One Vision - A Guide Dog Documentary

Dedicated for all the puppies, but particularly, Mathilda, Tom, Pearl, and Sammy.
There is a lot that goes untold in the story about the four-legged creatures who hold a special destiny - who are the eyes, companions, heroes, best friends, and freedom for some people.
Over the past 4 months, I have had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with a special group of people: guide dog puppy raisers. Before a Guide Dog, become a Guide Dog, or goes to training to become one, they spend a year with a "raiser" who teaches them basic commands and more importantly, loves them.
This film is just a short snippet of what it means to be a puppy raiser, the challenges the dogs face, and the love and support for a better cause.
For more information on Puppy Raising and/or Southeastern Guide Dogs, visit: www.guidedogs.org
RAISE A PUPPY!!!
The making of this film would not be possible without the many wonderful and talented people who helped bring the importance of raising a puppy to life with me. So thank you to:
• Southeastern Guide Dogs: for allowing me to pursue this idea and giving me permission to follow your puppy raisers and help support puppy raising.
• High Point University Communication Department: for aiding me in the skills, technology, and support to pursue such a project.
• Dr. Trammell: for not giving up on me and following my crazy story ideas and supporting them all the way.
• My Puppy Raisers - Carolyn, John, Joyce, Liz, and Christine: thank you for letting me bombard your life with a camera and for accepting me into the group and into your lives. Also, thank you for the countless hours you spend raising these wonderful puppies.
• My camera crew - Hogan, Zach, Ben, Kelly, Erin, and Maddie: thank you for your time and for your gift of capturing and translating the lives of these puppies through a camera.
• My music artists
Ryan: thank you for underscoring yet another one of my films with me. I really appreciate your time and support.
Troy & The Co.: thank you for creating the touching music that you do and for allowing me to touch other people with it. Also, thank you for trusting me with your music.
• My Adobe Effects expert - Collin: thank you for your help wit the graphics and for making them come to life.
• My parents: for your loving support, wings, and late night talks.
• Dave: for believing in me and my crazy ideas, and for being my sound board throughout the process.

[@leananshae]

If guide dogs are heroes, then the people who raise them, fall in love with them and then selflessly give them up are saints. Bless them all.

[@damcalilao4271]

Raising them like your own children and giving them to other people in need is not easy the world needs people like you who are noble and unselfsh. .

[@1028Lulu]

oh goodness, this just made me cry.....

[@LunarEclipse090]

I'm literally crying right now! These owners/ caregivers are amazing at what they do!

[@Blade56762]

I don't think I could be this unselfish!

[@luciabrown8778]

I have raised two and I thought that too until I raised mine.

[@LooneyCat55]

I love this so much, I'm a puppy raiser for Southeastern and really appreciate you making this documentary to spread knowledge on the process of puppy raising and I'd like to add on with my story. It's a bit cheesy and emotional but it's from my heart and explains why I think all the struggles puppy raisers go through are worthwhile. Both my siblings raised guide dogs prior to me and the moment I was old enough I was begging my mom to let me raise one. It has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life and have learned a lot of responsibility from it. My dog, Skylar, had an amazing personality and temperament. She was so sweet to everyone, was amazing at staying calm in situations where there was a lot of potentially scary sights and sounds, and learned and retained obedience with hardly any instruction. Over the year I had her we became best friends, sisters, and more so when it came time to give her up I had such mixed feelings about the whole idea; on one hand I felt regret, sadness, and dread but on the other I was happy, hopeful and knew Skylar had a good chance at becoming a guide dog. People always ask me how I could give up a dog after putting so much love and effort into them for a whole year, and to say the truth its not easy. In fact, its one of the hardest things I have done in my life. Yet despite that, it is such an awarding experience having the knowledge that you have changed someone's life for the better. For me I had gratification the day I turned Skylar in for Guide Dog U. After the ceremony, one of the speakers (a blind person) came up to me and told me she had something to give me. She explained that she was the roommate of my dog's sponsor (also blind) and that while he a tried to come to Guide Dog U to see me and Skylar, he wasn't able to come, instead sending a handwritten letter. The letter was short and said something along the lines of "thank you for raising Skylar, you are doing a great thing," which had been what many people had been saying to me all day. But this note meant so much more to me than what everyone else had been saying to me all day combined. It felt so personally and genuine, all my doubts about puppy raising disappeared and all the tears I had shed earlier that morning were worth it. I don't regret a single moment and would raise more dogs without hesitation. The whole Guide Dog program is amazing, they provide these guide dogs to blind people FOR FREE, so I encourage you to support the Guide Dog School in your area. I'm not saying you have to raise a puppy or even donate, but spreading the word or visiting a campus to puppy hug or walk their dogs can provide priceless help. And in case anyone is wondering and got this far, we actually got Skylar back from the school and she is now a breeder dog for Southeastern. Right now she's away again but we should be getting a pregnancy announcement from the school soon (it's her first litter!!!) and soon after that we'll get her back. :D

[@LadyPrincessDiana]

These people are amazing, what they do for other people in need of a guide dog is really great. I don't know if I could be selfless enough to do that.

[@lorihemminger7719]

what an absolute courageous and honorable thing to do...to raise a pup, teach a pup, and to give the pup up, even knowing from the beginning that the dog is going for the better good, to help someone and become their eyes!!!!wow incredible...halos to all you trainers

[@krissy0628]

that must be soo hard to give up something you raise from the day they are born or at a very young age, to then give them up but bless them for doing it to help those less fortunate

[@blindpeopledostuff3587]

+Kristyl Robinson Once you see the beauty of what the dogs are doing, it gets easier. My puppies raisers are also in our lives.

[@krissy0628]

That's nice you still keep in touch!

[@luciabrown8778]

I have raised two and yes it is very hard. The first one I got at 12 weeks and raised for 17 months (I think). The second I got when she was 8 weeks and I raised her for 14 moths, very hard but when you see the blind the person with the dog it's worth it.

[@oyamisparets6816]

I don't know who did I liked more this amazing dogs or these beautiful human beings . God bless them all 😇. Thank you so much for doing all this hard work for the special needs people .

[@NTrammell912]

So excited to finally be able to be a puppy raiser after wanting to be one for over 10 years now, but crying my eyes out rn after watching that video bc the thought of giving them up hurts.. I love the puppy and I don't even have him yet!!! But wow, what an awesome opportunity to get to help someone else and truly put someone else before yourself, no matter how much your heart hurts to let the puppy go. I am so excited!

[@dailyguidedog8432]

This is so awesome. My guide dog helps me everyday! Thank you!

[@toribosley4839]

I am so excited to start raising one of the puppies!!

[@MisplacedBelle]

This is one of the best videos I have seen on what it means to be a puppy raiser! It was wonderful to meet you when you came to campus the day that Mathilda came in. Congratulations!

[@rio-wi1el]

thank you, you make the world a better place you change lives.

[@PrincessMagMag]

you are all heroes!

[@staceyanderson6480]

When Mathilda was going away and looked back it broke my heart.

[@RAJESHWARIASHAR]

I'm in tears now..

[@Beyondvisionwi]

This is really beautiful. Thank you for sharing this story and for highlighting the people that make so many blind and visually impaired people gain freedom!

[@adamalexcoolkds7429]

salute to the dog owners!

[@toribosley4839]

Amazing video!! It was very well put together and I love it! Thank you!

[@may9june6]

wow this just melts my heart. bless these people and dogs ❤️

[@SexySheerah]

My Daisy the lab is very attached to me too. She love me to bits and the feeling is mutual. But I think all labs are like that. The moment you adopt your lab she/he will automatically bond to the original owner.

[@donnagibson9613]

beautiful dogs, the best breed ever!

[@niasaunders75]

Great video!

[@JohnDoe-xu2vx]

I turn in little yellow lab guide in training this saturday. Its is not easy.

[@lisan11]

24.45 broke my heart.. poor matilda :( :( :( :( :( :( don't know how they do this. I would be so sad if I ever had to give my dog up

[@howardpower]

I can just imagine raising a dog is just like raising kids. They just don't talk back and no linguistic issues lol.

[@totomarquezbMTN]

it must be soo hard to let them go.

[@MsOzia]

Wow I can't believe people would raise these dogs and love them so much and then just give them away to someone they don't even know that could maybe not even look after it the way they need e.g. Walks, love, play, good food, so on.

[@krissy0628]

MsOzia the homes they go to are very well monitored to ensure the dogs aren't mistreated because a lot of money is also funded to train these dogs so don't worry. They don't just give them to anyone

[@shannonted1845]

waoo

[@DenisMorissetteJFK]

Seriously, I think I'm going to kidnap a Golden Retriever and take him home...