The Seeing Eye

Book excerpt: The Seeing Eye traces its origin to the trenches and battlefields of World War I, where legions of soldiers were blinded during years of brutal engagements. After the war, Germany trained dogs to guide its blinded veterans. In the late 1920s, a small group of innovators took it upon themselves to teach blind and visually impaired people in North America to use dog guides. The Seeing Eye has since helped thousands to achieve greater independence, dignity, and self-confidence, using specially trained Seeing Eye dogs as their companions.Using rare photographs and documents, The Seeing Eye details this remarkable organization and its pioneers, including German shepherd breeder and Seeing Eye founder Dorothy Harrison Eustis; Morris Frank, the first visually impaired American to learn to use a Seeing Eye dog; and Frank's own dog, Buddy. The story follows the first students as they navigate the busy streets of Nashville, Tennessee, in 1929, and Morris County, New Jersey, where the fledgling organization moved in 1931 and where it continues to operate today. The Seeing Eye documents the campuses and the students, as well as the faithful dogs, their care, and their training. The reader will meet the dedicated employees and volunteers who have made the organization possible, as well as the graduates who have gone on to lead successful and fulfilling lives.