Partnership Brings Dog To Lititz Boy

"This dog has been helpful to all of us. We are all bonding with her," said Jennifer Musser of her family's decision to adopt 2-year-old Wesla, a female yellow Labrador retriever that was trained by Guiding Eyes for the Blind, but not assigned to an owner because of confidence issues. Jennifer's son, Chase, who is 7 years old and is blind, has been receiving help from VisionCorps since the age of 6 months.

Jennifer said the family had been seriously considering getting a dog before March of 2021, when the family was contacted by VisionCorps. "(VisionCorps) had the opportunity to partner with Guiding Eyes for the Blind to (match) a dog from Guiding Eyes with a family that has a child (ages 5 to 15) with vision impairment or that is blind who may benefit from having a (guide) dog in the future," said Jennifer. The connection was made through PAWSitive Pals partnership program, which finds homes for dogs that were not able to complete guide dog training. "Adopting a dog (can) build that relationship and (teach the) responsibility of caring for the dog to help the child in the future," explained Jennifer.

After learning of the opportunity, the Musser family completed an adoption application. Then, they waited. In September 2021, Jennifer was at VisionCorps, and staff members asked if she had heard anything. "(VisionCorps) reached out to Guiding Eyes and learned the organization was still actively looking for a dog," said Jennifer. In early November, the Mussers got the call that a dog had been found.

On Dec. 8, 2021, Chris Ament, VisionCorps director of rehabilitation services, and education brought Wesla to the Mussers. "I got Chase out of school early so he could be there when she arrived," said Jennifer. "It was really neat for him to meet her."

Because of her age and training, Wesla is calmer than a puppy would be. Along with being house- and crate-trained, Wesla came with a list of commands, which Jennifer said she follows. Chase quickly took on feeding duties, and Jennifer reported that Wesla stays close to Chase and lies under a blanket with him. "She listens well to (Chase)," said Jennifer. "We are getting to know her, and she is getting to know her place here."

Jennifer noted that Chase was very excited to have Wesla in his life. "He said, 'She is the best dog ever,'" recalled Jennifer, who added transitioning to having a dog has not been difficult. "We are blessed to have been chosen for the program," reported Jennifer. "It has been an overall good experience for our family."

VisionCorps is a Lancaster nonprofit that works to empower the blind or visually impaired to attain independence. More information about VisionCorps may be found at http://www.visioncorps.net.