Guide Dog to Recieve Retirement Party

Elmore the Yellow Labrador is a Guide dog for his blind owner who is a masseuse at the mall in Clearwater, Florida. Over the 7 years that Elmore has been going to work with his owner he has developed quite a fan club. People visiting the Mall will stop by the kiosk just to say hello and some even offer to take Elmore for a walk or play with him.

Elmore who is now 9 years old is developing eye problems due to cataracts and it is effecting his ability to be a guide dog so Elmore’s owner has decided to retire him. Since Elmore and all of his past Guide Dogs are so used to being around people all day when his dogs retire he finds them busy homes to live out their retirement and golden years. Elmore would be bored and unhappy in his home all day alone while the new Guide Dog went to work with their owner. So Elmore will be going to a new home of which there are many to choose from since he has so many fans who love him.

Dave, Elmore’s owner felt that Elmore’s fans would want the chance to say goodbye to him since he will not be visiting the mall anymore once he is retired so he will be throwing a retirement party for the dog at the mall. This way people will be able to come and say goodbye and have a happy send off for Elmore to his new home. At the end of the party Dave will be handing Elmore’s leash over to his new owners at which time his retirement will officially begin.

Elmore’s retirement party will be held at the mall on Saturday April 9th from 1 – 5 pm.

Elmore was trained by Guiding Eyes for the Blind Guide Dog School, a non-profit in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., www.guidingeyes.org. Pruszynski plans to be back there April 11 to begin training with dog No. 6.