Raise a Seeing Eye Puppy (WATCH)

It sure is nice to see people and puppies work together for those who do not have the ability to see. People and Puppies at Work for Sight (PPAWS) is a nonprofit organization based in the Atlantic and Cape May Counties of New Jersey.

The goal for this nonprofit is to raise puppies to become seeing eye dogs for those who cannot see. Galloway Township resident Peter Avagliano is the leader of People and Puppies at Work for Sight.

PPAWS works closely with the organization The Seeing Eye, based in Morristown, New Jersey. It is an organization that has been around since 1929. "Our puppies come to us when they are seven weeks old, and we raise and train them in our homes until they are about 14 to 16 months" says Avagliano. "At that time, they return to The Seeing Eye to do four to six months of additional training, and then hopefully they will become matched with a person and go off and start working."

The Seeing Eye has matched nearly 16,000 dogs with those who cannot see. The Avagliano family so far has raised ten puppies over  thirteen years working with PPAWS. The dogs from The Seeing Eye work for about seven to eight years.

"Just to be able to help is really rewarding to us" said Avagliano. You can find out more at People and Puppies at Work for Sight's Facebook page, or you can check out The Seeing Eye where you can find out more about the cause and how you can help.

Check out these cute puppies in the most recent edition of Living Well with Robin Stoloff as I talk to Peter Avagliano about PPAWS!