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T he Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, New York, breeds select dogs to become guide dogs. The pups are transported across the United States for their initial training. Some make their way to Central Georgia and the Burrus Correctional Training Center (BCTC) in Forsyth through the Vision Project Program. The inmates of BCTC are the initial trainers for these pups as they begin the long, expensive journey to become certified guide dogs. BCTC inmates and staff train the pups during the week. On the weekends, local families take the dogs for immersion in life beyond the correctional setting. BCTC and the families are in close contact and share the same mission: teaching the pups discipline, commands, obedience, confidence and socialization as they work toward being the eyes for an unsighted person. In this article, we'll explore what life is like for the pups after they graduate from BCTC and their weekend training, and return to where their journey began to complete their extensive "fine tuning" to become certified guide dogs. Meet Rubble, a yellow lab/golden retriever mix who graduated from BCTC and his weekend puppy trainers a few years ago and headed back to New York, where he completed the final portion of the program and was placed in the home of a blind woman. She eventually became non-ambulatory and had no need for Rubble. The Guide Dog Foundation reached out to the McCormicks from Macon, who had been Rubble's weekend puppy raisers, asking if they would like to adopt him. "We were thrilled and of course never expected to see Rubble again, let alone have him move back into our home," said Shannon McCormick. In late November, Rubble came back home to Macon. With three young sons and Christmas just around the corner, Shannon and her husband had the idea of housing Rubble elsewhere until Christmas in order to surprise their boys. She contacted BCTC and asked if they would be willing to keep Rubble until Christmas. They agreed and welcomed the opportunity for the inmates to see first-hand a pup that began with them and became a fully-trained, certified guide dog. It was a win-win for all involved. PERFECT VISION ACTIVE AND RETIRED GUIDE DOGS FIND PURPOSE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES BY JANE WINSTON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE YOUNG This is the third in a series of articles about the Vision Project Program. Read the first two articles at maconmagazine.com. 70 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022