Thanks to a generous donation from the Sonnentag Foundation, the philanthropic arm of County Materials Corporation, OccuPaws Guide Dog Association will be better able to provide a guide dog to a veteran who is blind. OccuPaws, located in Madison, WI, is a volunteer based nonprofit organization which provides guide dogs at no cost to blind and visually impaired individuals in Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and Eastern Minnesota.
OccuPaws raises and trains guide dogs through in-home training programs. The organization’s custom training sessions take place in the comfort of the client’s home environment as opposed to a guide dog academy. This is done to prevent personal circumstances such as family obligations, professional commitments or secondary health conditions from interfering with enjoying the companionship and assistance that a canine guide can offer. Each completely trained dog and person is carefully matched according to such traits as lifestyle, personality, activity level, and walking speed.
Through donations from the Sonnentag Foundation, County Materials is supporting service organizations and events that directly help veterans and active military personnel in communities where the company has locations.