Who Can Get a Guide Dog?
Changing Lives, One Dog at a Time
If you’re a blind or visually impaired person over age 16 who believes you can benefit from the independence, confidence, and ease of mobility that a guide dog brings, you can apply for a Seeing Eye® dog.
As the first guide dog training school outside of Europe, The Seeing Eye has been matching Canadians who are blind or visually impaired with Seeing Eye dogs for more than 80 years.
How the Program Works
Once accepted into the program, you’ll join people from across the United States and all provinces of Canada on the campus of The Seeing Eye, where you’ll live as a student for up to three and a half weeks.
Each student gets their own room with a private bath in the residence hall and three meals a day in a dining hall. Without having to worry about room and board or meal planning, you’re free to focus your efforts on learning how to work with and care for these remarkable dogs. Instruction is provided on the campus, inside the town of Morristown, in surrounding rural areas, and during an optional trip to New York City.
After graduation, students return home with full ownership of their Seeing Eye dog. Follow-up support — on the phone, online, or through at-home visits — is provided for the lifetime of the partnership.
All of it — the training, equipment, room and board, round-trip transportation, follow-up support, and of course, the Seeing Eye® dog — is provided for a fee of $150 (U.S.) for the first dog, $50 for a successor dog, or $1 if the student is a military veteran.
Help With The Cost
Donations to The Seeing Eye Organization go toward covering the amount paid by the student to get guide dog training. Government subsidies are also available for Canadian students.
Stories From Our Graduates
Yvonne, a human rights attorney and a resident of Winnipeg, was matched with her first Seeing Eye® dog in 1978. In 2022, she returned to The Seeing Eye to be matched with her seventh, a chocolate Labrador/golden retriever cross named Idris. Get more of Yvonne’s fascinating story — and meet other graduates, too!
Make a Small Gift — and a BIG Difference
When you donate to The Seeing Eye Organization, you’ll help Canadians who are blind or visually impaired experience the life-changing difference of a Seeing Eye® dog.
