Meet Carole – Southeastern Guide Dogs Volunteer
Campus volunteer, breeder host, puppy raiser, and area coordinator Carole Adamczyk with Irish, a sibling to a puppy that Carole raised last year.
Carole Adamzcyk’s world revolves around two things: military life and puppies. Her husband, Walter, is a 32-year Air Force veteran. Carole is a former Wing Family Program Coordinator for the National Guard and a retired Department of Defense Family Readiness Coordinator at MacDill Air Force Base. She’s the president of a small nonprofit serving MacDill families in need. And she’s a three-time puppy raiser, a breeder host, and the volunteer area coordinator for the MacDill puppy raiser group for Southeastern Guide Dogs.
It all started several years ago when Carole ran a half-marathon with retired Army veteran, LTC Kathy Champion, a visually impaired graduate and guide dog handler. After learning about our school, Carole decided to volunteer on our campus. Since 2010 she has volunteered in our Assessment Center, puppy kennel, and training kennel.
“I knew I always wanted to puppy raise, but we had two dogs at home, so I couldn’t do that at first,” Carole says. “In 2014, after one of our dogs died, I started to puppy raise. I told one of my volunteer friends that Southeastern Guide Dogs really needed to tap into MacDill Air Force Base. So in April 2015, we started the MacDill puppy raiser group.”
“They have a nice-sized group and they’re very passionate about our mission,” says Leslie Shepard, Director of Puppy Raising Services. “And they’re especially excited when a puppy goes to a veteran.” One of the puppies Carole raised is now training in our service dog program. In Carole’s world, that’s the best of both worlds!
The 2015 launch of the MacDill puppy raiser group
