Saratoga News
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Teen guides her dog through special program
By Ruth McCaffrey
Tim Godecker is a project manager in the IT department of the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco. A computer program reads text aloud so that he can keep up with e-mails and reports. He uses the program because he is legally blind.
"With my left eye, I can see shapes, light and dark," he says. "My right eye, outside in good light, I can see better shapes. At night I cannot see anything."
Several years ago Godecker learned he had retinitis pigmatosa, an incurable condition which gradually gets worse. He does pretty well getting around with his cane. Luckily his hearing helps him tremendously. When a helicopter goes over and blocks out sound, he says, "I'm a little disoriented."
While Godecker was cheerfully working his way with his white cane through a street or a store, sometimes tapping a few parked cars or shopping carts, Kate McCaffrey asked her parents if she could get a dog and prepare him to be trained to help someone who couldn't see. They already had a dog and a cat, but they agreed. They were used to Kate's love of animals.
When Kate, now a senior at Archbishop Mitty High School, was 7 years old, she wanted a dog birthday party. They arranged to have the party in Vasona Park. Everyone invited had to bring their dog or borrow one. The dogs ran, fetched things and generally were well behaved.
Kate contacted the local organization of Guide Dogs for the Blind and learned the requirements for being a puppy raiser, which included checking that the house and yard were suitable for raising a guide dog puppy.
A short time later, 2-month-old Carlo arrived. The black Labrador was full of energy and ready to run out and see the world. Shortly after he arrived, when the family sat down for dinner, he grabbed the napkins off a few people's laps and ran in circles. One day he startled Kate's mother with a big leap onto the kitchen table.
Kate's job wasn't easy. Carlo had to be trained to walk with a leash, and stop jumping on tables and sofas. With lots of patience and work, he calmed down. He had been so good that when the family went to the theater, they brought Carlo. He was very good through the performance. When the final curtain went down and people started to move, Carlo got up. When he woman in the seat in front of him turned around to see him, he licked her right across the face. Well, the work wasn't over.
About a year later Carlo was ready to be returned to Guide Dogs for formal guide work training. When training is finished, the dogs are matched with blind students enrolled at the school.
Godecker was enrolled and waiting. When he was matched with Carlo, they started an intensive in-residence course, culminating with a graduation ceremony. Kate's family proudly watched while she presented Carlo to Godecker.
Now Godecker has help with his shopping and getting to BART to get to work. Carlo also helps him walk the busy sidewalks and streets in Chinatown to have an occasional lunch out with co-workers.
Guide Dogs for the Blind provides lifelong partnerships in the community by providing skilled dogs and training to blind people free of charge. It receives no government funding but depends entirely on private donations. To get involved, contact Guide Dogs for the Blind at 800.295.4050 or visit www.guidedogs.com.
Ruth McCaffrey is a resident of Saratoga. She is Kate McCaffrey's grandmother.
