The thought of our department contributing to something that would ultimately change the life of someone who is blind or visually impaired was incredibly compelling. To be able to give such a meaningful gift felt like the opportunity to serve in a new and deeply fulfilling way.
No badge identifies 福利天堂专注精品福利鈥檚 newest police force member 鈥 only a tail in constant motion.
That tail belongs to Arby, a black Labrador Retriever who鈥檚 been partnered with Officer Joseph Locke. The eager canine is on a temporary campus assignment as he begins training to become a guide dog for the visually impaired.
This is the first time a police department has collaborated with Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a New York-based nonprofit organization that provides guide dogs to people with vision loss.
鈥淚 love being around dogs, and it鈥檚 been great to have the opportunity to participate in something that鈥檚 never been done before -- not just for myself, but for the (police) department,鈥 Locke said.
Through the partnership with Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Locke participated in training to become a 鈥渞aiser鈥 for Arby.
Raisers are assigned puppies that live with them full-time for 12 to 15 months. During that time, the dogs learn socialization cues, house manners, and guidance to prepare them for the next phase of guide dog training.
鈥淥ur volunteers are literally the best human beings there are. They are willing to give and do whatever it takes to help meet all the needs of the pups so they can go out into the working world,鈥 said Lisa Bumbalo, Guiding Eyes for the Blind regional puppy instructor.
BSUPD鈥檚 participation was sparked during a meeting last year between BSU Police Chief Glen Anderson, College of Humanities and Social Sciences interim dean Dr. Brian Payne and College of Graduate Studies interim dean Dr. Deniz Leuenberger, when Anderson wondered if someone from the department could take part.
鈥淭he thought of our department contributing to something that would ultimately change the life of someone who is blind or visually impaired was incredibly compelling,鈥 Anderson said. 鈥淭o be able to give such a meaningful gift felt like the opportunity to serve in a new and deeply fulfilling way.鈥
Leuenberger supported the idea, and Payne reached out to Bumbalo, who was thrilled with the concept.
鈥淚n some ways it is almost too good to be true,鈥 she said. 鈥淏SUPD has been so enthusiastic, and Officer Locke is a great guy. He has approached this all with an open mind and has learned a lot in terms of what he needs to support Arby.鈥
According to Payne, who has worked as a puppy raiser through the organization since 2017, a college campus is an ideal setting for training a dog.
鈥淭he biggest thing you are teaching the puppy is how to adapt and behave in a human environment,鈥 he said. 鈥淏SU is a microcosm of a large city. You have communal living spaces, public transportation, meeting rooms, the outdoors -- all at a smaller scale. It鈥檚 a great way to introduce a puppy to a very busy human world in smaller increments.鈥
Since arriving on campus in December, Arby has shared every moment with Locke, attending Guiding Eyes training sessions and venturing across campus 鈥 and beyond 鈥 as a team.
An important lesson as they live and work together, Locke said, 鈥渋s getting him to ignore the distractions.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 helping teach him the foundations so he can go on to be as successful a guide dog as he can be,鈥 he said.
When Arby is finished training with Locke, he will return to Guiding Eyes headquarters and training school in Yorktown Heights, New York for the final leg of his education. If he passes, he will be placed with someone experiencing vision loss.
Locke already knows saying goodbye to Arby will be difficult, but he realizes Arby鈥檚 purpose is to change someone鈥檚 life for the better. He plans to attend the graduation ceremony once his canine partner passes all his training.
鈥淜nowing I am helping to provide a service animal that will be a life-changing addition to someone鈥檚 life, to give them freedom and mobility -- that is what makes this so exciting,鈥 Locke said.
Going forward, Bumbalo said she would love to continue working with BSU, including recruiting more volunteers to serve as puppy raisers.
鈥淚t would be great if we could find more raisers at BSU,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really so neat working with these guys. They are wonderful people that have really embraced the program. I can鈥檛 wait to see what the future holds for Officer Locke and Arby.鈥
Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu