Leader Dogs For The Blind

I am Jeff Cholewa, I am a Lions Member in the Roselle Lions Club. I currently work at Northmoor Country Club and am the Senior Equipment Manager. I am volunteering as a Puppy Raiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind. I am Honored to have Lombard Veterinary Hospital and Dr Georgie Ludwig to partner and support through their Foundation as I raise puppies for Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Back in 1990 I joined a Lions Club in my local town. Since then, I have been in 3 different Lions Clubs as I have moved from town to town. Currently I am a member of the Roselle Lions Club. Shortly after joining Lions, I was able to take a trip with my club to Rochester Hills, Michigan. That is when I first learned about Leader Dogs for the Blind. The history of Leader Dogs is a remarkable story of Lions members working to help someone in need. From the Leader Dog website, “We were founded on April 4, 1939, by Charles A. Nutting, Donald P. Schuur and S.A. Dodge, members of the Uptown Lions Club of Detroit. Their motivation was a fellow Lion, Dr. Glenn “Doc” Wheeler, who had lost his sight and wanted a guide dog. A small farm in Rochester Hills, Michigan was purchased for $1 and assumption of the mortgage. Over the years, additional land was acquired to make the 14-acre campus we occupy today.

The first class graduated in October 1939 at the cost of $600 per client/dog team. Clients were charged $150, a practice that was ended in 1958 when we made our services free of charge to clients, opening the door to everyone in need regardless of ability to pay. All services are still provided free of charge.

We began expanding our program offerings in 1992 by offering a dedicated program to train people who are Deafblind and instructed using American Sign Language (ASL) with a guide dog. We followed this in 2002 by providing orientation & mobility (cane travel) training, in 2005 by offering free GPS units and training, and in 2007 by introducing our Teen Summer Camp.

I was totally blown away learning about Leader Dog. While there I learned that you could volunteer as a Puppy Raiser for future Leader Dogs. I thought why not. This is a great thing. When I returned home the next day, I spoke with my wife at the time about raising a puppy. She thought the idea was great but ultimately decided against it. She did not want to get attached to a puppy and then must return it to Leader Dog a year later. That did not end my thoughts of being a Puppy Raiser. 

Fast forward to 2021. I am still involved with the Lions and currently divorced. I attended a Lions Region meeting where a spokesperson form Leader Dog was there with a puppy and gave a presentation. I never forgot about Leader Dog over the years but never really thought about being a Puppy Raiser. Watching the program that night I decided I would look back into being a Puppy Raiser. I went and filled out an application and attended a virtual information meeting. I received a follow up phone call asking me some more questions from my application. I was told at that time everything looked good and I will be put on the list to receive a puppy. I was told it could take up to 90 days to receive a puppy. So, I waited. About a week later got a phone call saying they had a puppy for me, a 4-month-old female black Lab, and when could I be there to pick her up. That was the shortest 90 days ever. Well, I scrambled around got a crate, dog bowls, dog food, toys, beds, gates, ect to welcome a puppy to my home. I went that weekend up to Leader Dog and picked up my first puppy. I was assigned a local Puppy Counselor from Grays Lake, who I later found out was a Lions member also. I was given a Puppy Raisers manual that contained guidelines, rules, tips for training and resources. As a Puppy Raiser I am responsible for the care and raising the Future Leader Dog (FLD) for any where between 11 to 14 months old before having to return them to Leader Dog. As a Puppy Raiser when you receive your puppy, they come with a number from Leader Dog, but no name. I get to choose the name for the puppy. I received a bag with some heartworm meds, flea and tick treatment, leash, collars, 2 toys, a service dog bandana and vest, and an ID card saying I am a Puppy Raiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind. During my time with the puppy, I am responsible for the care and upkeep of the puppy. That means food, vet visits, vaccinations, toys, ect. I teach basic obedience as in come, heal, place (stopping and waiting at a curb or cross walk), sit, down, off, park (reliving themselves on command), calm greetings. I am also to take them out and expose them to all kinds of environments. Shopping malls, Dr offices, theaters, bands, church, restaurants, bars, the list goes on and on.  This so the puppy learns how to act and behave in different environments. I am required to attend monthly events and training that my puppy counselor sets up. 

Prior to going into this venture, I spoke with my son and his wife about what I was going to do. They were excited and have been very supportive. I discussed this all with Brian Chasensky, Superintended at Northmoor Country Club where I work. Brian along with the staff at Northmoor Country Club are also very supportive. 

I am currently raising my 3rd puppy for Leader Dog. The first one was the female black lab, Daisy. My second was a female yellow lab/golden retriever, Brandy. My current puppy is Cosmo. He is a yellow lab and is currently 4 ½ months old. I received Cosmo when he was 8 weeks old. All 3 of my puppies travel everywhere with me every day. It is constant training with them in everything that I do. They all attend all the Lions meeting, event, conventions that I go to. Daisy even traveled by car to Orlando, Florida with me for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Conference. While their Daisy went to all my seminars, parties, events and trade show. She did a really good job. It was a great training opportunity for her. She even laid down quietly in the front of the room while I was teaching a seminar with Justin Prescott fomm Kenosha Country Club. When at home with the puppy we are still training in everything that we do. It is not always constant training each of them have time to be a puppy and run and play. We go on what is referred to a “sniffy walk” where we just walk and the puppies get to sniff and have fun as opposed to training walks in their service vest where they heal and walk with a loose leash the whole time. 

The one question I get asked the most is “How hard is it to give them up? Don’t you get attached?” Yes, you get attached to them. Its not easy to give them up. It is a sad day and a long ride back to Leader Dog. Once there you go into a room nicknamed “The crying room” answer some questions about the puppy, take some photos and say good luck and goodbye. If you are going to raise another puppy, prior to retuning the puppy you have you make arrangements to pick up your next puppy and the same time. This helps with the transition from being sad to being happy again. As they then start their formal training to become a guide dog for the blind you will receive updates on their progress and photos. Unfortunately, only about 50% of the puppies make it all the way through the program to become Leader Dogs. If for whatever reason the puppy you raised does not make it through the program, you will be the first to receive a phone call asking if you want to adopt the dog. If not then the dogs are put on an adoption list. During my time raising puppies I have only been refused entry to 2 places with my puppy. Unfortunately, this was due to the establishments not knowing and understanding Illinois law on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Illinois law allows for puppies in training to be treated as a service dog and are protected under the ADA laws. In my training when something like this happens, we are told to try to educate them on the law. If they are still non-compliant, we are taught to just leave and not make a scene. As we are representatives of Leader Dogs for the Blind. 

To update you on the puppies I have raised. Daisy was adopted out due to medical reasons. She was showing signs of hip dysplasia. Brandy has successfully passed all her training and is currently working with a blind client.  Cosmo and I are still working on training. He is full of energy, stubborn and has a strong personality. He is progressing in training as people tell me he has settled down a lot. He is becoming more adaptive to work and Lions meetings and events that he settles more quickly and will lay calmly. Cosmo as with my other two puppies have attend Tech seminars and meetings through the Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents (MAGCS).  I will have Cosmo until sometime in September of 2025. It is sad to return them to Leader Dog. I keep reminding myself why I am doing this. I’m doing this to help improve and better the life of someone visually impaired and I to give them the freedom of mobility that we take for granted every day. It’s a great feeling when you get updates that the puppy you raised and taught has graduated and forever will change someone’s life. I’m so very proud of Brandy for completing all of her training.

Currently Leader Dogs are free to all clients along with all the other services the Leader Dogs for the Blind offer. Leader Dog is completely funded by donations, grants and funding from investments through their Foundation. There is always a never-ending need for Puppy Raisers. 
As Lion I am proud to be part of Leader Dogs for the Blind and the services they provide to the visually impaired. You can learn more about Leader Dogs for the Blind at https://www.leaderdog.org/  or reach out and I can come talk to you. 
I am proud and honored to be working with Dr Georgie Ludwig, Lombard Veterinary Hospital, Gregory Ludwig and Dr Kline for treating all of my Leader Dog puppies.