BY: Lucy Weber
Sadie, along with five other pups, are in the first training class of Gallant Hearts run by Becky Floyd, who has relied on a series of eight different dogs to help her navigate through a sightless world since 1964.
"All my life I wanted to start a guide dog school," said Floyd, who retired in 2009 as executive director of the Mississippi Protection and Advocacy System. "I remember sitting in a law school class telling a classmate that was my dream. After I retired, I decided I want to do this now. I want to be able to give back to the community."
Gallant Hearts, which will provide dogs free of charge, is one of about 13 schools in the country. "There are approximately 18.8 million adults with significant visual impairment and only 1,500 teams (dogs matched with handlers) put out a year in the United States," Floyd said.
For now, Gallant Hearts, run out of Floyd's home by volunteers, has six puppies in foster homes learning basic skills in preparation for the next phase of working with a trainer on how to lead the blind. Tonto lives in Floyd's home, Sassy Sadie is in Vicksburg, Zoe and Dena are at the Hinds County Penal Farm and the two others live in homes in Jackson and Batesville.
The puppies will live in foster homes until they're about 12-15 months of age and then they will start working with a professional trainer for about four months to learn how to be a guide dog. Each dog is thoroughly screened for health problems. Gallant Hearts pays all expenses for the puppies in foster homes and for all the training.
"Each dog will have $22,000 worth of training," she said.
The program relies on donations, and Floyd is in the midst of seeking grants to help fund the operation.
"We've got to have a salary of $45,000 for a trainer or it's all for nothing," volunteer Kathie Curtis said. "The apprentice is another $30,000."
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