Welcome
The Magic of Santa Claus: A Guide Dog Perspective
By: GDUI Member Anthony Corona
Posted with permission. Visit Anthony on Substack: https://theanthonycorona.substack.com/
Every year when the air shifts and the world starts to smell like pine, cinnamon, and something warm and hopeful, the kennel changes.
That is how Scrappy first noticed it.
Scrappy was new. All paws and curiosity. Ears too big for his head, heart even bigger. He had only just arrived at the training kennel, still figuring out what his paws were for and why everyone kept saying words like focus and harness and someday.
And then there were the decorations.
Red balls. Green balls. Shiny silver ones that reflected his own nose back at him. Twinkling lights that begged to be chased. Scrappy could not understand why he was not allowed to play with them. After all, balls were balls. That was simple dog logic.
It was Ginger who stopped him.
Ginger was old. Not old in the sad way. Old in the wise way. The kind of old that settles into your bones and teaches you patience. Ginger had once been a guide dog too. Years of steady sidewalks, busy intersections, quiet companionship, and fierce devotion. Now retired, Ginger lived at the kennel as a calm presence. A mentor. A quiet guardian of the new trainees.
Scrappy plopped down beside her, tail thumping.
“Why are the balls forbidden?” Scrappy asked in his puppy way, which was really more of a look and a tilt of the head.
Ginger chuckled, which sounded like a slow wag and a…(Read more)
GDUI Challenges Ride-Share Giants: “Equal Access Shouldn’t Require Self-Disclosure”
In a decisive move that could reshape transportation access for guide dog handlers nationwide, Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) has formally opposed ride-share companies’ controversial self-identification programs, calling them a step backward for disability rights. Read more
Report those ads that encourage doting pet owners to break the law and identify untrained pets as service and guide dogs!
We find the ads everywhere! These are the ads that sell a cape or a vest or some other piece of identification paraphernalia that gives pet owners the confidence to falsely claim their pets are service dogs! Don’t make it easy for pet owners to break the law – and harder for guide and service dog users to travel independently and safely with our dogs! Report those ads every time you encounter them! Here’s how!
Do You Frequently Encounter Uncontrolled Pet Dogs in Stores Or Other Public Venues?
GDUI has advice for lodging complaints with business owners or management.
Public Service Announcement on Uncontrolled Dogs
Don’t you wish pet owners would understand how important it is to keep their dogs on leash and under control?
You can help them understand!
Share GDUI’s new audio Public Service Announcement with your local media! And, share the announcement, yourself, with family and friends on all the social media you visit!
We encourage you to share our audio message widely! The more people who understand how important it is to control their dogs, the safer all of us will be!
Tired of being left in the dust? In the rain? In the dark? By the side of the road?
Don’t tolerate discrimination from drivers for Uber or Lyft! Drivers are obligated, by law, to transport you and your guide dog. If a driver fails to pick you and your guide dog up, file a complaint. Find out how to file your complaint.
New CDC Dog Importation Regulations Take Effect August 1, 2024
Beginning August 1, 2024, new dog import rules will go into effect from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These rules, meant to prevent the re-introduction of rabies into the U.S., will affect guide dog teams returning to the United States from travel abroad. Even in cases where a dog’s rabies vaccine has originated in the U.S., and the dog is returning from a country not deemed to be high risk for rabies, some additional documentation will now be required to return to the United States. Visit the CDC’s Bringing a Dog into the United States Web site for further information. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with these requirements, along with those for your destination country as provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, (APHIS) before traveling with your guide dog. You can also find these links and more in our Resources section.
Welcome to Paws for GDUI News You Can Use! – VOL. VI, NO. 1, February 2026 – A Publication of Guide Dog Users, Inc.
President: Sarah Calhoun
Editor: Andrea Giudice
Co-editor and GDUI Immediate Past President: Penny Reeder
Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) A special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) since 1972
Toll-Free: 866.799.8436
From the Editor- Hello Fellow Gduisters
Welcome to Paws for GDUI News You Can Use, the Feb-BRRRRRRRRRRRRR-ruary 2026 issue! Grab a hot cuppa and enjoy!
It is so cold as I am writing this that I can hardly get my fingers to work, and that is in my apartment with the heat higher than I want to have to think about paying for on next month’s bill. Toto is curled in the smallest of dog balls, with his tail firmly pressed across his nose. And, yes, he is totally, and unashamedly bundled under his quilt!!
This month you will find articles celebrating braille, as Paws isn’t published in January (the month of Louis Braille’s birthday) so… bumps are being honored this month instead! There are book announcements; sneak peeks; member’s submission’s; new, at least to your editor, apps; important dates; conference(s) information; recipes; helpful tips for keeping the pups safe in this ridiculous cold; stories of bravery, creative use of technology, and out-of-the box thinking; and so much more! (If I list more, there would be no reason for out to read any further! *smile*)…(Read more)
About Us
Guide Dog Users Inc., (GDUI), is the leading consumer-driven organization of guide dog handlers in the world. GDUI is an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and is a founding member of the Coalition of Assistance Dog Organizations (CADO).
We strive to promote civil rights and enhance the quality of life for working guide dog teams. Drawing on the experiences and varied knowledge of its members, GDUI provides peer support, advocacy and information to guide dog users everywhere. In addition, GDUI works with public entities, private businesses and individuals to ensure that guide dog users enjoy the same rights to travel, employment, housing, and participation in all aspects of life that people without disabilities enjoy.
The collective knowledge and experience of GDUI’s members drives constructive dialogue breaking down barriers of ignorance, opening doors for those of us men and women who live and work proudly and independently partnered with a well-trained guide dog.
The information and helpful resources shared here on GuideDogUsersInc.org are provided as a service to all who are interested in the guide dog and handler partnership. We invite you to explore our website and to become a part of GDUI!
Special Announcement
Guide Dog Users, Inc. offers the Disaster Assistance and Preparedness Program (DAPP) to working guide dog teams that are recovering after a catastrophic event (e.g. hurricanes, floods, fire, etc.). If you are in need of assistance, learn more about the DAPP program.