07/23/2026
Thank You, Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton!
A heartfelt thank you to the Rotary Club of Madison – West Middleton for inviting OccuPaws Guide Dog Association to share our story and the life-changing work we do in providing guide dogs to people who are blind or visually impaired.
Opportunities like these are invaluable. They allow us to raise awareness about the growing need for guide dogs, educate our community about the journey from playful puppy to trusted guide, and, most importantly, share the incredible stories of how guide dogs have transformed the lives of our clients—restoring independence, building confidence, and opening doors to new possibilities.
Community outreach is a vital part of our mission, and we are grateful for organizations like Rotary that help us spread the word and inspire others to get involved.
Would your organization like to learn more about OccuPaws?
We would love to speak at your service club, school, business, church, or community organization. Whether you're looking for a guest speaker, an educational presentation, or a community event, we'd be delighted to share the inspiring journeys of our clients, explain how guide dogs change lives, and show how your organization can become part of this life-changing mission.
To schedule a speaking engagement or learn more about OccuPaws, contact us at [email protected] or visit OccuPaws.org.
Together, we can create greater awareness and help more people discover the life-changing impact of a guide dog.
Thank you again, Rotary Club of Madison – West Middleton, for your warm hospitality and your commitment to serving our community!
OccuPaws - Providing Assistance to the Visually Impaired
By Joseph Valenta, DVM
At a recent meeting of The Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton, Kassel Matushak, Treasuer
of OccuPaws, told the story of how her organization assists the visually impaired, also
introducing the memebers to a couple of four-legged assistants.
OccuPaws Guide Dog Association, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, breeds, raises, and trains
Labrador Retrievers and Standard Poodles to serve as guide dogs for people who are blind or
visually impaired and places them at no cost to the people who receive them. The organization
holds dual accreditation from the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) and Assistance
Dogs International (ADI), placing it among a select group of guide dog schools held to the
highest international standards for training, health, and welfare.
Unlike many guide dog schools, OccuPaws operates without a central campus or kennel facility.
Instead, its dogs are raised and trained within the homes and communities of the volunteers
who care for them. This approach keeps dogs socialized in real-world environments from the
very beginning. Each year, the organization places approximately six to eight guide dog teams,
pairing a fully trained dog with an individual who needs them. Each team is created by matching
a dog’s personality and ability to the needs of the handler.
A guide dog& #39;s job goes far beyond walking beside its handler. These dogs are trained to stop at
curbs and stairs, navigate around obstacles like low-hanging branches and other hazards a cane
would never detect and make independent decisions to keep their handler safe, even when
that means disobeying a command. That skill, known as "intelligent disobedience," is part of
what separates a guide dog from a well-behaved pet. For the people who receive them, the
impact is profound.
Ruth Winans, a guide dog recipient, described what it was like navigating the world with a
white cane before she was partnered with her dog, Molly: "While using a white cane, I once
heard a stranger shout from across the street, threatening to shoot me — a frightening
reminder of how vulnerable I felt. With Molly at my side, that fear has been replaced by
confidence. I walk comfortably and securely, no longer feeling like a target." Winans added that
the impact extends well beyond mobility: "OccuPaws does more than provide guide dogs —
they restore independence, dignity, and confidence." She said she no longer just moves
through the world — she lives in it, with renewed freedom and hope.
Every dog that graduates from OccuPaws& #39; program represents the work of dozens of
volunteers: puppy raisers who welcome a young dog into their home for a time commitment of
about 4 months and the puppies rotate between different raisers then off to professional
trainers who prepare the dogs for their working role, and board members who keep the
organization running. That community-driven model is part of what makes the organization& #39;s
mission possible without charging recipients a cent. Guide dogs typically cost tens of thousands
of dollars to breed, raise, and train, a cost OccuPaws absorbs entirely through donations,
grants, and the volunteer hours of its supporters.
[Editor’s Note: Josepth Valenta, author of the foregoing article, is a veterinarian, who operates
Petcare Clinic in Cross Plains. Dr. Valenta has been a Rotarian for more than fifty years].
Abby Benbow Andrew T. Drake Bill Mowbray Connie Fish James L. Zirbel
