April 15th 2009 1:05 pm
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I just want to take a moment to tell everyone about a very special group of 4th grade students in Iowa Fall, IA that I have had the honor of working with over the past few years. This class of fourth graders from the Rock Run Elementary School in Iowa Falls, IA takes on the task of helping to train and raise funds to help support the Leader Dogs for the Blind Puppy program both in Iowa and at the Leader Dogs for the Blind facility in Rochester, MI. Over the past seven years the fourth graders in Mrs. Jones' class have taken on the Leader Dog Puppy programs and have raised over $14,000 to sponsor Leader Dog Puppies being raised by the inmates at the North Central Iowa Correctional Facility in Rockwell City, IA.

Since the puppies at the prison typically don't have the opportunity to intermingle with young people on a regular basis, the puppies are brought to the school to work with the 4th graders three or four times during the school year to become accustomed to young people and to have th young people do part of the extensive puppy training before actually being fully trained as a working "Leader Dog".

My partner and I have had the opportunity to attend the classes and inform the students what an actual working dog can do for a blind/severely visually impaired person. Its a lot of fun and the kids are great.

So, again "Thanks to the 4th grade students in Mrs. Jones' class at Rock Run Elementary School in Iowa Falls, IA for all your wonderful work in support and helping to train future Leader Dogs for the Blind."

Woof, Woof!

Logan