Breeder gives back through dog donations
PROSPECT Sharon Epps cuddles a newborn golden retriever in hopes it will one day become a guide dog for the blind.
The Prospect woman has been breeding golden retrievers in her home for the last 36 years, some of which have been donated to Leader Dogs for the Blind, an organization based in Michigan.
"I don't really remember how I got started, but I wanted to do something good with the dogs," Epps said. "They are easy to train and a joy for people to be around."
A litter of newborn golden retriever puppies crawl toward their mother just before feeding at her home. Born April 2, Epps said the most important needs the puppies have are warmth and plenty of food from their mother. The new puppies will need milk from their mother for eight weeks.
To be donated, the dogs have to be tested, free of hereditary diseases, and also have to be elbow and eye certified and screened for hip dysplasia. The dogs also require standard vaccinations. Epps said she tries to donate one or two dogs from each litter to Leader Dogs for the Blind.
"Golden retrievers love to please people, and their goal is to make people happy," Epps said.
Epps said people need to breed the animals for the qualifications they want. In a show dog, heavy bones and good confirmation are important. In a guide dog, a good thinker is needed. Epps said the dog's attitude is what attracted her to the special breed.
"I was most interested in the temperament of the dog while keeping its health and good confirmation," Epps said.
In the past, Epps also donated a dog to a man who was depressed after his wife died.
"It brought him back to better health, and the dog was just so excellent," Epps said.
She also took the dogs to Concordia Lutheran Home and Allegheny Valley School to be used as therapy dogs.
"With kids that couldn't work with them, all they had to do was start petting them and there was a transformation," Epps said. "They would just get a smile on their face."
Rachelle Kniffen, marketing specialist at Leader Dogs for the Blind, said two puppies born at Epps' home in February were donated and are now in puppy raiser homes. After a puppy is born, it moves into a new family's home to learn basic obedience. Kniffen said the dogs become socialized by going to church, movies, restaurants and sporting events.
"The younger the dog is when they have these experiences, the less likely they will come upon something they have never experienced before," Kniffen said.
After the puppies have completed a year in the puppy raiser program, they return to Leader Dogs and go through four months of training and one month working with a student. Then they become guide dogs for the blind. All of the puppies meet the certain physical standards prior to entering the program, and all eventually become guide dogs as they already meet that highest standard.
Another older golden retriever Epps donated became a member of the breeding stack program at Leader Dogs, which are chosen according to size, temperament, speed and health."The cream of the crop go into the breeding stack," Kniffen said.The breeding stack program is the group of dogs used for breeding by the organization. While some dogs are donated by people such as Epps, Leader Dogs uses the breeding stack for the majority of its guide dogs.Epps said she sees her donations as her way of doing a good deed."I just thought it would be a good way to give back to God and humanity for giving me such good dogs," Epps said. "When I donate the dogs, I can give something back, and it's my purpose in life."
