Guide Dog Partnerships Increase Mobility, Safety, Flexibility
Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation partners people who are visually impaired with trusted German Shepherd guide dogs, providing increased independence, safety and flexibility
Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation (Fidelco) partners people who are visually impaired with expertly bred and trained German Shepherd guide dogs, providing them with increased independence and safety to improve their lives and the world around them.
Based in Connecticut and serving clients across North America, four of the organization's 150+ active guide dog partnerships currently reside in the Greater New Haven and Valley towns of Branford, Guilford, Milford and Seymour, Connecticut.
Fidelco's guide dogs devote an average of 10 years providing mobility and companionship to their partners who are blind, allowing them to navigate through daily life more swiftly, with less fear and with greater flexibility. It takes two years, 15,000 hours, and $65,000 to create each life-changing guide dog — provided to clients at no cost.
A recent Community Foundation grant to the organization will support the life-changing partnerships Fidelco provides. In late 2021 and early 2022, The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded multi-year funding to several nonprofit organizations that serve people with visual impairments in Greater New Haven, including Fidelco. The grants were made possible thanks to funds established decades ago by donors who stated a preference that grants be made specifically for the benefit of the visually impaired. (Learn more.)
At Fidelco, that means continued support for new and current guide dog partnerships with in-community placement and individualized training, annual follow-up visits, 24/7 on-call assistance to ensure the safety and success of each guide dog team, and ongoing support for the lifetime of their guide dog partnership.
"From all at Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, we are very grateful for the support of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven," says Karen C. Tripp, Chief Executive Officer.
"For over 60 years, Fidelco has been providing intelligent, hard-working, beautiful German Shepherd guide dogs for people who are blind. With this increased safety and independence, lives are changed for our clients in New England and throughout North America."
Learn more about Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation
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