Welcome to Pine Tree Guide Dog Users Monthly News Updates.
Read about dog handling tips & tricks, advocacy news, favorite gear & toys, guide dog school updates, great-tasting recipes and more!
2025 News Updates List
January 2025
January 2025
Welcome to the Pine Tree Guide Dog Users Monthly News Update, a nationally recognized publication for guide dog handlers and others interested in the guide dog movement. To offer submissions or feedback, please send us a message.
Community Connect
This section features PTGDU community updates.
- The holidays may be over but the New Year is here! Kick off 2025 with PTGDU — join our group, renew your membership, follow our Facebook page, or make a donation. In the meantime, we wish each of you and your canine companions all the best for the new year!
- New coloring page for kids! Designed to encourage children to think about how dogs can assist people who are blind, our new coloring page shows a simple drawing of the guide dog team featured in our Guide Dogs in Action Educational Series as they walk along a country road. Other free materials offered in the series include a poster, two handouts, supplemental info, and a lesson plan.
- Bundle up! Every dog is different, but generally, temperatures below 32F can be problematic for dogs. Age, breed, fitness level, and concurrent medical conditions all influence how your dog handles cold temperatures. Read more about cold weather safety tips from the experts at Guide Dogs for the Blind.
- Couples Corner. Join guide dog handlers Jake Koch and Melissa Carney on Forward Together to learn more about their lives with two guide dogs. They’ll discuss how they navigate with their dogs, the importance of self presentation, and their take on making event spaces accessible.
- Financial assistance for Maine guide dog handlers. Occasionally, a guide dog will require major surgery, emergency care or some other significant medical procedure for which its handler may need help to pay. PTGDU’s Mary T. & Curtis D. Lovill Emergency Veterinary Expense Fund is intended to assist Maine guide dog handlers in these circumstances. For more details, please download a copy of our Emergency Veterinary Expense Fund Policy.
- Lost and found. A family member leaves a door cracked while bringing groceries into the house, the landscaper forgets to close the back gate, or your guide pulls away from you to engage with the neighbor’s dog. Whatever the circumstance, losing your guide dog can be a frightening and stressful experience. Check out these tips from Guiding Eyes for the Blind to proactively prevent lost dog incidents and the proper actions to take in order to report and locate a missing dog.
Advocacy Matters
This section features news on access and legislative issues.
- New and improved! The Seeing Eye’s Advocacy App for Apple/iOS and Google/Android is now easier to navigate and even more screen reader friendly. Some of the changes in this free app include:
1. Improved navigation: Key documents have been converted to HTML, making them much easier to navigate.
2. Quick access to resources: Direct dial and email links have been added in the HTML documents so you can easily reach out to the resources you need.
3. Better organization: The State Laws section now has a structured layout similar to your phone’s contact list, making it more intuitive to browse.
4. Enhanced search function: Significant improvements have been made to the search feature, including additional screen reader announcements to better guide you as search results populate.
- Help prevent access challenges in Maine’s public places. Share this pamphlet on service animals from the Maine Human Rights Commission and the Department of Justice’s ADA guidance on service animals with your local businesses.
- Rideshare discrimination. Despite the recent publicity about ridesharing and guide dogs, an article in The Associated Press reports that handlers continue to experience canceled rides, unwarranted cleaning fees for their guide dogs and outright refusals by rideshare drivers.
Gear, Supplies and Dog Toys
This section features a brief description of items favored by guide dog teams but is not intended as an endorsement of the actual products.
German Shepherd solid bronze Key Ring
The key to your heart. Made of solid bronze and attached to a brass key ring, this German Shepherd 3D mini-sculpture is beautifully textured and sealed to preserve the glossy finish and the fine detail. The approximate size of the mini shepherd standing on its base is 3/4 inches by 3/4 inches. The inner diameter of the key ring is 1 1/4 inches. Other breeds are also available. Made in the USA by The Hunting Horn Jeweler. $19.95.
PTGDU Recipe of the Month
This section features a favorite recipe from the guide dog community.
Corn and Cheddar Chowder with Bacon
Popular with Seeing Eye students and staff of all ages, this old-fashioned favorite with a Southwestern twist has just the right amount of heat and tang.
Ingredients
4 slices of thick bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen corn, thawed
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus extra for garnish
Instructions
Heat a heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towel-lined plate. Add butter and onions to remaining bacon drippings and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and stir for 1 minute. Add flour and stir constantly for 3 minutes. Slowly add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Add potatoes and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Slightly mash potatoes with the back of a spoon and then stir in cream and corn. Simmer for about 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese just until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Top each serving with a sprinkle of crumbled bacon and shredded cheese.
About Us
This monthly news update is a publication of Pine Tree Guide Dog Users (PTGDU), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization serving Maine’s blind and low vision residents who are partnered with specially trained guide dogs. Founded in 1997, PTGDU’s mission is to promote complete acceptance of guide dog teams in all aspects of life. Visit us on the web or follow us on Facebook.