In celebration of National Guide Dog Month, BVA’s podcast series “Visions of BVA” will release on Sunday, September 1, its newest episode “Dogs Inc and Sheldon McKinney – Empowering Independence: The Impact of Guide Dogs on Blinded Veterans.” The episode offers an insightful look at the life-changing influence of guide dogs, blending expert perspectives with personal stories.

The transformative world of guide dogs is described in the episode by Jennifer Johnson, Guide Dog Program Director at Dogs Inc, and blinded veteran Sheldon McKinney, retired Army Master Sergeant.

Jennifer shares her 18 years of experience working with guide dogs, discussing the specialized training they receive, the bond between the dogs and their handlers, and the essential role they play in enhancing mobility and independence for the blind and low vision. She also covers the application process to obtain a guide dog and addresses common misconceptions.

Sheldon shares his personal journey with sight loss and how his guide dog, Nora, has brought newfound security and confidence to his life. He recounts his military service, the gradual onset of his blindness, and the impact of guide dog handling. He further highlights the challenges, responsibilities, and misconceptions surrounding guide dogs and the advocacy work in which he has recently been engaged through Team BVA’s Dog Handler Interest Group.

Listen to the Visions of BVA podcasts via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.