PINE TREE GUIDE DOG USERS
(PTGDU)

WHAT'S NEW?

• MAY MEETING POSTPONED - The PTGDU meeting scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2008 from 10:00am until 2:00pm has been cancelled.  The meeting will be rescheduled at a later date.
• Hope Paulos, a one-year Board Member, recently completed a half marathon in Florida. Listen to Hope’s interview discussing the event on the ACB Radio program "Blind Like Me" in the "Our Stories" section of this web site.
• LD 289, An Act to Revise the Definition of Service Dog: At a public hearing of this bill, a resolution to establish a commission to review the definition of a service animal was made. The commission was comprised of 13 members with one of those being a representative from PTGDU. The commission presented its findings and recommendations, along with any necessary implementing legislation, to the Second Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature on January 15th, 2008.
• ANNUAL WHITE CANE AWARENESS WALK 2007 - On Saturday, October 20th, blind citizens of Maine and their supporters gathered at the Maine State Library and Museum in Augusta to raise awareness for the safety and independence of white cane and guide dog users. See the White Cane Awareness 2007 web page for photos and more information about this event.
• Sue Martin adds to the collection of PTGDU members' growing number of articles about their guides in "Beverly Crosses the Rainbow Bridge", an article about the passing of her third guide.
• PTGDU member Anja Geleney joins the ranks of members who contribute stories about their guide dogs. Read "From Cane to Guide Dog" in our Stories section.
• Information about accommodations for service animals at Fenway Park as well as State of Maine sales tax exemptions has been posted in the GUIDE DOG INFORMATION AND RESOURCES section of this web site.
• The current PTGDU Board of Directors:
  • President - Pauline Lamontagne
  • 1st Vice President - Lynn Duplessis
  • 2nd Vice President - Patti A. Sarchi
  • 2 year Board Member - Bobbie-Jo LaChance
  • 2 year Board Member - Ferne Davenport
  • 1 year Board Member - Hope Paulos
  • 1 year Board Member - vacant
  • Treasurer - Anne Poland
  • Secretary - Anja Geleney

OUR ORGANIZATION

Pine Tree Guide Dog Users (PTGDU) is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote the well-being of dog guide users in Maine. Founded in 1997 with some financial support from the American Council of the Blind of Maine and a lot of energy and hard work from our founding members, PTGDU includes folks who are dog guide handlers, folks who raise puppies destined to become dog guides, and folks who are interested in working dogs of all kinds.

Pine Tree Guide Dog Users is an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, the American Council of the Blind of Maine, and of the Guide Dog Users, Inc.

OUR MEETINGS

The Pine Tree Guide Dog Users hold quarterly meetings in various locations in Maine. Meetings are scheduled on the first Saturday of February, May, August, and November. Meetings generally consist of a luncheon with a guest speaker followed by a business meeting. All members of PTGDU are encouraged to attend our meetings. If you have an issue that you would like to discuss, please contact our President, Pauline Lamontagne, at nera2@verizon.net.

OUR MEMBERS

Our members come from throughout the State of Maine and their dog guides have trained at a number of the many dog guide schools located in the United States. Here are some of the schools at which our PTGDU members have trained:

OUR NEWSLETTER

Read past editions of our cleverly titled newsletter, the Pine Tree Barker.

OUR STORIES

So, what's it like to work and live with a dog guide? Read the writings of some of our members and others on this subject.

GUIDE DOG INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Find links to all sorts of information about guide dogs on this page.

PTGDU MERCHANDISE

PUPPY RAISERS

If you live in Maine and are interested in raising a puppy destined to become a guide dog, you can contact Pat Webber at 207-338-5520 or pweb@gwi.net.

WEBSITE INFORMATION

The space for the PTGDU website is generously donated by the good folks at Downeast.Net.

This website is designed to be accessible to users of assistive technologies such as screen readers and screen magnifiers, to persons who use dial-up modems, and to persons who use older technologies. The website does this by trying to comply with the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Guidelines. If you experience any problems with the use of this website or if you have recommendations for additions or corrections to its content, please contact Lynn Duplessis at lyndup@yahoo.com.

Revised 5/3/2008