WORKING DOGS.
♪ SEAN: WELCOME TO A TYPICAL DAY FOR PLAISTOW RESIDENT RICK BLAIR.
>> DELTA, OUTSIDE.
SEAN: TYPICAL NOW AFTER A DIAGNOSIS CHANGED HIS WORLD.
>> ALL OF A SUDDEN IN 1999 I STARTED TO NOTICE I COULDN’T SEE AS WELL AS I HAD IN THE PAST.
SEAN: RICK BLAIR WAS SLOWLY LOSING HIS EYESIGHT.
>> TODAY I TOTALLY BLIND IN MY AM LEFT I AND I HAVE LIMITED VISION IN MY RIGHT EYE.
♪ SEAN: EVEN THOUGH HE’S LEGALLY BLIND, HE CONTINUES TO WORK FULL TIME AT AN ENERGY TECH COMPANY, PARTLY THANKS TO HIS FOUR-LEGGED COMPANION, WHO CAN SEE FOR HIM.
>> IT IS JUST SO LIBERATING.
SEAN: MEET DELTA, RICK’S SPECIALLY TRAINED GUIDE DOG.
THEY WORK AS A TEAM DEALING WITH EVERYDAY OBSTACLES LIKE DOORS, ELEVATORS AND SIDEWALK HERBS -- CURBS.
>> I CAN SEE THE BOND GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER EVERY DAY.
SEAN: DELTA IS A WORKING CANINE BRED FOR THIS LIFE-CHANGING JOB.
AND IT TURNS OUT MANY OF THESE GUIDE DOGS GET THEIR START IN NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS NEW HAMPSHIRE.
♪ SEAN: LISA FAUST HAS BEEN WALKING PUPPIES NEAR HER NASHUA HOME FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
SHE IS RAISING THEM TO BE WORKING CANINE’S.
-- CANINES.
>> WE BASICALLY WORK ON OBEDIENCE, EXCEPTIONAL HOUSE MANNERS, AND SOCIALIZATION.
SEAN: LISA VOLUNTEERS HER HOME AND TIME TO FOSTER YOUNG PUPS FOR A NONPROFIT CALLED GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND.
SHE LOVES IT SO MUCH, JIGS HERE IS HER NINTH FOSTER PUPPY.
>> I GET THE PUPPIES, I HAVE ACCESS TO PUPPIES OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY FUN.
SEAN: GROUPS LIKE GUIDING EYES RELY ON VOLUNTEERS TO RAISE THESE SPECIALLY BRED DOGS, FOR THEIR FIRST YEAR AND A HALF.
ON AVERAGE, ABOUT A DOZEN NEW HAMPSHIRE HOMES ARE FOSTERING PUPPIES LIKE THIS AT A TIME, WHICH CAN BE A COMMITMENT.
EVERYDAY LISA MUST WORKS WITH JIGS, USING EXERCISES THAT GET HIM TO FOCUS.
>> WE DO A THING CALLED THE DROPPED TREAT ACTIVITY.
SEAN: LIKE ANY WORKING DOG, JIGS LEARNS WHEN HIS VEST IS ON IT’S TIME TO WORK.
AND WHEN IT COMES OFF -- ♪ >> WE ARE NOT EATING MULCH.
SEAN: HE CAN PLAY LIKE ANY DOG.
A MUCH NEEDED BREAK FROM A BUSY SCHEDULE.
>> YOU BOTH TRYING OUT ON YOUR OWN.
SEAN: DOGS AND VOLUNTEERS ALSO ATTEND REGULAR TRAINING SESSIONS AT THIS CHURCH IN NASHUA.
>> DON'T GIVE HER A TREAT FOR THAT.
SEAN: ALL OF IT DESIGNED TO GET THE DOG TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THEIR BLIND PARTNER AND THE ENVIRONMENT THEY ENCOUNTER.
♪ SEAN: AFTER ABOUT 14 MONTHS OF THIS COMES PROBABLY THE HARDEST PART FOR THE FOSTER PARENTS.
>> YOU ARE JUST DEVASTATED FOR A WHILE.
THAT’S THE WAY IT WORKS.
SEAN: THE PUPS LEAVE THEIR FOSTER HOMES AND RETURN TO NEW YORK TO BE PAIRED WITH SOMEONE IN NEED AND GIVEN FORMAL HARNESS TRAINING.
♪ SEAN: AFTER ALL THE TRAINING, ONLY ABOUT HALF OF PUPPIES MAKE THE GRADE AND BECOME WORKING DOGS.
BUT THAT DOESN’T STOP PEOPLE FROM INVITING MORE INTO THEIR HOMES EACH YEAR.
>> IT IS A PASSION OF MINE.
I WILL PROBABLY DO IT UNTIL I DIE.
SEAN: BILL LEBLANC LINES HIS LITCHFIELD HOME WITH PICTURES OF HIS FOSTER PUPS INCLUDING THIS DECORATIVE TALLY OF 25 YEARS OF WORK.
>> THESE ARE THE BLACK LABS I'VE RAISED, THE YELLOW LABS I'VE RAISED.
>> HOW MANY TOTAL DOGS?
>> 17 TOTAL FROM START TO FINISH.
SEAN: LEBLANC NOW WORKS A REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND.
WHEN HE IS NOT RAISING A DOG, YOU MIGHT CATCH BILL SPEAKING AT THE LOCAL LIBRARY HOPING TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO FOSTER OR EVEN DONATE.
THESE FOSTER PARENTS DON’T GET MONEY AND GIVE SO MUCH BUT WHAT THEY GET IN RETURN MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT.
♪ >> VERY HEARTWARMING WHEN YOU SEE ONE OF YOU DOGS GRADUATE AND GOES WITH A BLIND PERSON.
IT GIVES THEM SO MUCH INDEPENDENCE.
♪ >> A LOT OF PEOPLE WONDER, IS IT FUN FOR HIM?
WHEN I PULL THAT HARNESS DOWN IN THE MORNING, HE IS EAGER TO GO TO WORK.
WHEN HE COMES HOME AT NIGHT, HE IS JUST AS EAGER TO TAKE THE HARNESS OFF AND RUN AROUND THE HOUSE WITH A BALL IN HIS MOUTH.
>> TO THINK THAT MY LITTLE TINY IMPACT OF RAISING THIS PUPPY COULD SO DRAMATICALLY AFFECT A BLIND PERSON’S LIFE.
IT IS JUST SO COOL.
♪