Sweeney, our Puppy with a Purpose®

His purpose in life is to provide independence for a visually impaired individual through the Guide Dog Foundation, located in Smithtown, New York. He is being raised by East Region Communications team member Pam Bellings, who takes him everywhere she goes, including to the New York Water offices where she is based and for visits to other Liberty offices. Presidents Chris Alario, New York Water, Neil Proudman, New Hampshire, and Mark Saltzman, New York Gas sponsored Sweeney

through the Guide Dog Foundation as a way to give back to our communities. Guide dogs are life-changing for their owners, and they recognized the impact this donation would have on someone's life. As part of the sponsorship, the three operating centers collectively donated $25,000 to the Guide Dog Foundation to support the program and volunteered to raise Sweeney until he is ready for formal training.

Sweeney loves to chase leaves, steal socks, eat snacks and snuggle, but his absolute favorite thing is to interact with people. Anyone who shows him a little love should be prepared for lots of puppy kisses. He also adores training sessions, which come with non-stop food rewards. He will learn any skill quickly knowing he is getting a treat.

There are lots of tasks Sweeney does each day, but he thinks he’s just having fun. Socialization is his number one task. Sweeney has to learn to be comfortable with people wherever he goes, and he has no problem with that.

He is required to go to public places a minimum of five times each week. This includes visits to grocery stores, the post office, the mall, restaurants, and of course, Liberty offices. He loves these outings so much that it is difficult to get him to leave. He often sits down and refuses to walk to the car. But his treat lady, aka, puppy raiser, can always entice him with some kibble.

Every day, we practice the basics, including sit, lay down, stay and heel. Currently he is also focusing on learning to go to his place when told, and to stay there. He likes going to his place but prefers not to stay. At five months old, he’s got lots of puppy energy.

Additionally, Sweeney has to learn to ignore distractions such as squirrels, birds, sirens, and yes, those blowing leaves that he loves to chase. We teach this by front loading him with treats before he has a chance to go for the distraction. For example, if we see another dog ahead, we start giving him treats while saying “nice” and keep doing this until the other dog passes. This teaches him that ignoring the distraction brings him rewards. It is challenging but he is making incredible progress.

Sweeney is required to attend Guide Dog Foundation puppy classes twice each month, where the distractions are extreme. Lots of other Puppies with a Purpose®, people, airplanes, etc. and the goal is to ignore them. Nobody expects perfection at this age.

The goal is for Sweeney to become an assistance dog, preferably a guide dog for a blind or visually impaired individual. He could have a different career that better suits him if he doesn’t meet the qualifications for a guide dog. He has a long road ahead of him until that point and many skills to tackle. We’re all rooting for him to succeed!

Sweeney is the most affectionate little puppy. He came to us at 22 pounds and now weighs in at approximately 46 pounds. Everyone loves him and he loves them right back. He is eager to learn and is becoming more mature each week. It is rewarding to see him succeed at a task and know that his skills will one day provide a life changing experience for a person in need. That person will be lucky to have him, and we are lucky to have him for this time.