18 / matters magazine / holiday 2018 After the dog’s training is complete, the most important part of the process starts: matching the dog’s personality with a visually-impaired person. Most dogs are matched in six months, but sometimes the process can take up to 18 months because The Seeing Eye works hard to make sure the pups and their new family are perfectly compat- ible. Once a match is made, a visually- impaired person will spend three to four weeks working with his or her new guide dog. Many Seeing Eye dogs have a work- ing life of up to 10 years. At the end of that time they have the option to stay in their present situation, come back to their puppy family, or go into the coveted adoption program for senior Seeing Eye dogs. The Essex County Puppy Club pre- pares its puppies for this life by taking them on several trips each year, includ- ing an overnight trip to Washington DC and another to Newark Interna- tional Airport. But the main event for Puppy Club members is the holiday trip from Maplewood Train Station to New York Penn Station in early December. “Usually we have about 20 puppies, all wearing a vest or a scarf,” says Kee- ler. “We meet at the Maplewood Train Station and travel into New York City to see the holiday attractions.” Their arrival at Penn Station is “like the part- ing of the Red Sea,” says Cullen. “The crowd dissolves to let us through, and strangers stop to take photos. Some want selfies with the dogs.” The parade of puppies makes its way up to Bryant Park, allows their people to do some shopping, and walks to Radio City to see the tree. Puppies and handlers check out the holiday window display at Macy’s and have lunch at Bubba Gump’s before making their way back home – a long day for the puppies, many of whom fall asleep on the train trip back to Maplewood. If you are interested in being part of the Essex County Puppy Club, here are a few things to know: You must be at least 9 years old (“raising a See- ing Eye puppy makes a great mitzvah project,” says Keeler); and be prepared to spend time with the puppy (this is best if someone works from home, but someone with a reliable friend or dog walker can work too). Your whole fam- ily needs some training as well – and Jethro, with his puppy raisers, Dennis and Monica Cullen. Seeing Eye puppies pause for a photo break at Bryant Park. For more information, visit www.studiobmaplewood.org SUNDAY DECEMBER 2 10-4pm 2018 HOLIDAY BIZARRE BAZAAR The WOODLAND 60 WOODLAND RD MAPLEWOOD NJ