SEEING EYE © DOGS TO TRAIN AT AIRPORT TONIGHT

Avoca, PA (October 3, 2006) -- The Seeing Eye, in conjunction with local 4-H clubs, will have a training session on Tuesday, October 3, 2006 within the Joseph M. McDade Terminal Building at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

The mission of The Seeing Eye is to enhance the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of blind people through the use of Seeing Eye dogs.

Training a Seeing Eye © dog is a multi-step process. When the dog is about eight weeks old, it's placed in the home of a volunteer puppy-raiser, where it's taught basic obedience and socialization and given lots of love. When it's about 18 months old, the dog returns to The Seeing Eye and begins a four-month course of training with a sighted instructor. When the dog passes this phase, it's matched with a blind person. The person and the dog then train together, under the supervision of a sighted instructor.

Training will be done for the dogs at the Airport to help assist people who will be utilizing the facility. Training will include all aspects of a person taking a flight, including all public areas, screening checkpoint, as well as boarding an aircraft.

In 1942, The Seeing Eye, in conjunction with 4-H clubs of New Jersey, began The Seeing Eye/4-H Puppy Raising Program. Since then, children and their families have raised Seeing Eye puppies in New Jersey, selected areas of New York and Maryland, eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware.