Guide Dogs for the Blind are given unique training at Van Nuys Airport

By Ayushi Das

On Wednesday, Jan. 28, Van Nuys Airport welcomed 15 furry first-time travelers aboard. Local puppy raisers from Guide Dogs for the Blind had the opportunity to take their puppies through a simulated travel exercise. The event was hosted by RetrievAir, a dog-focused aviation service.

“We are very aware of the integral role dogs play in people’s lives,” said Annelise Ingram, head of customer service at RetrievAir. “We want to enable more people to travel with their dogs beside them.”

As part of the training exercise, puppies and their raisers had the chance to go through security, walk across the tarmac and board the plane. Michelle Chun is a volunteer with GDB who participated in the exercise. Chun is currently raising a golden retriever named Trenton to be a service dog.

“It’s important that our dogs are socialized for as many events as possible,” Chun said. “They got to hear the sounds of other planes taking off and landing, and get used to the feeling of being on a plane.”

Chun has been volunteering with GDB for 17 years. She has been raising Trenton for the past year, teaching him basic commands and exposing him to different environments in preparation for formal training.

“This was such a positive thing for us to do,” Chun said. “It’s rare when we can do something like this as raisers, since most of us don’t get to fly with our dogs on a regular basis.”

Along with the volunteers, GDB’s Manager of Community Education and Advocacy, Kirsten French was present at the event. French is visually impaired, with a guide dog of her own, named Knightly.

“Knightly helps me navigate the world,” French said. “It’s huge that she’s comfortable with going up and down the cabin.”

With Knightly’s help, French enjoys traveling across the country and internationally.

“The flight exercise was also crucial for people like the flight attendant and pilot to navigate,” French said. “It helps everyone understand the access barriers a service dog can help with.”

French received Knightly through Guide Dogs for the Blind. The training exercises and work of volunteer raisers are important to get puppies ready for any challenges they may face in the real world.

“We are really about supporting independence with individuals with visual impairments,” said Christine Benninger, president and CEO of Guide Dogs for the Blind. “We are extremely grateful to RetrievAir for giving us this opportunity with some of our puppies.”

With 800 dogs and almost 4,000 volunteers, GDB is the largest guide school in America. Training exercises like the flight simulation allow the dogs to better serve the visually impaired who may be in need of a guide dog one day.

For more information on how to volunteer with GDB, go to guidedogs.com.