Meet George – Southeastern Guide Dogs Volunteer
George, wearing a white polo and blue pants, leans with his shoulder against a column of a building.
“Seven years ago, we had just retired and we were looking for something that would give us both satisfaction. We were both in hospital work all of our lives, and we were looking for something where we could continue to help other people. This just fit everything.
I started volunteering in the puppy kennel and I’m still there. Nancy and I have been puppy raisers twice, with Gunner and Diamond. If Nancy has her way, we’ll be third-time puppy raisers.
We hadn’t had dogs live with us before. Puppy raising was very interesting, and Gunner was such a wonderful dog to begin with. The first night that we brought him home, we put him in the crate and he slept all night long. We thought, “Oh, gee, this is great, we’ll try this again.” With the second one, Diamond, it didn’t turn out quite that way. But the interesting thing about raising a puppy for Southeastern, at least they come with a 150-page manual.
I have found this to be very addictive. Once you get involved and learn about what happens here, the more you want to be involved.”
George Cotrell, Puppy Kennel volunteer, ambassador dog handler
