THE FIDELCO GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION, INC.
103 Old Iron Ore Road, Bloomfield, Conn. 06002
www.fidelco.org

NEWS RELEASE               

For Immediate Release   

Date: April 6, 2010 

Contact: Jack Hayward                      
860-243-4800

 

PUP TO PARTNER: THE 2010 FIDELCO OPEN HOUSE

 

Celebrating The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation’s

50th Anniversary

 

 

              Bloomfield, Conn. – The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc. (Fidelco) continues its 50th anniversary celebration with the 2010 Fidelco Open House on Saturday, April 17th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Fidelco campus in Bloomfield, Conn.

             Activities include behind the scenes tours of the Fidelco kennels which are capable of housing 150 dogs, stops at the Marjorie and Gerard Morrissey Training Center, the puppy playground, and the Norma F. Pfriem Pup House where our puppies will be on display. There will also be foster puppy and guide dog demonstrations and the Bloomfield Police Department will showcase its K-9 unit. Visitors can take blindfold walks with professional Fidelco trainers and  guide dogs. This experience gives them an understanding of what it means to trust their safety to a Fidelco guide dog. This is a free, rain or shine event.

             Fidelco, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Bloomfield, Conn., breeds, trains and places its own, unique type of German shepherd guide dogs with people who have visual disabilities. It pioneered In-community Placement in the United States; a process that allows guide dog users to be trained in the communities where they live and work. Now in its 50th year of service, Fidelco relies solely on the gifts and the generosity of individuals, foundations, corporations and civic organizations.

Schedule of events

10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.             Tours

10:30-11:45 a.m.                    Blindfold walks with Fidelco guide dogs and professional trainers

10:00-10:30 a.m.                    Guide dog demonstration

10:30-11:00 a.m.                    Welcome, Eliot Russman, Fidelco CEO

                                                   Guest Speaker- Daniel Almeida, Fidelco client

11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.              Lunch available for purchase

11:00-11:30 a.m.                     Puppy playhouse open

11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.            Bloomfield Police K-9 Unit demonstration

12:00-12:30 p.m.                     Guide dog demonstration

12:30-1:00 p.m.                       Foster puppy demonstration

1:00-1:30 p.m.                          Foster program information session

1:00-2:00 p.m.                          Blindfold walks with Fidelco guide dogs and professional trainers

1:30-2:00 p.m.                          Puppy playhouse open

 

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