4-H seeking young people to raise Seeing Eye Puppies

Middletown - The 4-H Program of Orange County is recruiting young people to raise Seeing Eye Puppies. Youth must be at least 9 years of age to participate. Those who are selected will receive a seven-week old puppy and will raise it for about a year. The puppy then goes back to Morristown, N.J., for further training before being placed with a blind person as that person’s eyes and companion. A past 4-H alumni of this program noted: “Of all the 4-H projects I’ve done, none was as rewarding and character building at this.” Other program highlights include: • Seeing Eye pays veterinary bills and a quarterly allotment to defray other puppy-raising costs. • There will be a once-a-month meeting for puppy raisers that provide socialization and instruction. • A Seeing Eye representative is available for assistance at all times. • Someone should be home for part of the day to meet the puppy’s needs. For more information, call the 4-H at 344-1234.