You may soon begin to see more puppies on the Tech campus within the next month, thanks to a new student organization at Texas Tech.
When 21-year-old Kaitlyn Beckert moved to Lubbock from Forth Worth to begin graduate school at Tech, she realized there was a need in the area for a program that would raise puppies to become guide dogs for the blind. Since 2014, she had been heavily involved with the statewide program Lone Star Guide Dog Raisers which raises money for the nonprofit charitable organization Guide Dogs for the Blind. So, in order to continue her work and potentially recruit others to join in on the mission, she decided to help establish a similar chapter here in Lubbock, “Lone Star Guide Dog Raisers – Lubbock.”
As of last week, the organization became an official student organization at the university campus. So far, Beckert has received a lot of positive feedback from members of the community, students interested in joining as well as school faculty.
“I just know that there’s just tons of potential of having this organization established in the area,” Beckert said. “College students are the perfect people to raise puppies. A college campus just gives a lot of good exposure opportunities for the dogs.”
Right now, Beckert’s five-month old yellow lab that she’s raising, “Fanta”, is the only puppy in the program. She says by next month, the organization will be receiving more puppies ready to begin training.
The puppies come to the raisers at about eight-weeks-old, where they soon begin training. After about a year and half of working with the raisers, the pups are sent to Guide Dogs for the Blind, who will then send the puppies all over the country (and even to Canada) for free to people who need guide dogs.
Beckert says that although she realizes she will to one day part ways with Fanta, she’s excited that the puppy will be helping someone who truly needs her.
“I love doing this and I would love other people to also experience the feelings I’ve experienced by doing this,” Beckert said. “It’s a great way to give back, and you have to have a good heart and dedication, because it is a big commitment, but it is so worth it in the end, because something very positive comes out of it.”
Texas Tech professor and co-coordinator of the Texas Tech Lions Club (as well as member of the Lubbock Lions Club), Dr. Clifford Fedler, is also looking forward to the success of the Lubbock chapter. He says Beckert’s goals for the student organization is exactly right up the Lions’ Club alley.
“We need to prevent all preventable blindness, and that’s what Lions is all about,” said Dr. Fedler. “It’s just a great thing to do. It takes someone with a beautiful heart to raise a dog like that and then say ‘here, it’s yours.’ You’re going to fall in love with that dog, and you’re going to see that dog go away but you know that dog is going to be trained to help somebody. So somebody who is in need is going to be helped considerably.”
He hopes that Beckert’s organization and the Texas Tech Lions Club can team up in the future on fundraising for both student organizations and help each other out at community events.
Interested in becoming a puppy raiser or learning more about Lonestar Guide Dog Raisers – Lubbock?
You can visit their site www.lonestarguidedograisers.wordpress.com or ‘like’ them on Facebook, www.facebook.com/lonestarguidedogsLBK
Beginning the first week of March, the organization will meet on Wednesdays at the TTU equestrian center from 7 p.m – 9 p.m.
