Melissa Weisse, President and CEO of Leader Dogs for the Blind, introduced key staff members and provided an overview of the organization’s operations and services. Founded 85 years ago, Leader Dogs is fully dedicated to empowering individuals with visual impairments to live independently. With an annual budget of over $20 million, a staff of 191, and over 1,000 volunteers, the organization trains approximately 200 individuals each year in white cane navigation and pairs 100 clients with a Leader Dog to support independent living.

Clients from around the world are matched with a dog and receive comprehensive training—all at no cost. Leader Dogs for the Blind is funded entirely through philanthropy. Creating and supporting each dog-client team costs about $98,000, covering everything from dog and client training to transportation, breeding geneticists, vehicles, culinary services, and other staffing. Orientation and mobility training with a white cane costs approximately $11,000 per person—again, provided completely free of charge to the client.

Each year, 300 to 400 puppies are born from a breeding stock of 70 dogs. Each female is bred no more than four times before retirement. Once a puppy is old enough to leave its mother, it is placed with a volunteer puppy raiser for six to twelve months. These volunteers teach the puppies basic obedience and house manners and socialize them within the community. After this stage, the dogs return for formal guide dog training. On average, over 44 dogs are matched with clients each month.

Leader Dogs also offers a summer camp for teens aged 16 to 17. While school districts typically provide orientation and mobility training to help visually impaired students navigate a school environment, the Leader Dogs camp expands that experience. It introduces students to engaging and practical activities such as escape rooms, kayaking, navigating a college campus, changing a tire, and dancing.

Following her presentation, Melissa introduced us to the real stars of the day—the dogs and their trainers. The host dogs for the event were Emmit, Meiyo, and Indy. Rotarians had the chance to wear a sight-blocking mask and be led by a trained Leader Dog. Many remarked on how challenging it was to trust a dog, even in a controlled setting.

Jeff Duperon takes Meiyo for a spin.

Then our guest Merrick Maris followed Emmit.

Tamara Tazzis received brief instructions before she attempted to walk using a white cane. She said she had trouble maintaining her balance as she walked, and it was harder than you'd think.