A Lone Tree mother-daughter team has spent more than two decades helping turn 10-week-old puppies into guide dogs for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Darlene and Maddie White lead the Lone Tree/Highlands Ranch Puppy Raisers club, a local volunteer group for Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), a nonprofit guide dog school. The club has been active for more than 25 years and meets twice a month in Lone Tree. Together, Darlene and Maddie have personally raised 13 puppies for GDB.
"I absolutely love seeing the freedom and independence that one of our puppies ends up providing to a client," Maddie White said.
"Raising a puppy together is such a great family project," Darlene White said.
How puppy raising works
GDB raisers take in a puppy at about 10 weeks old and raise it for roughly a year before it returns to GDB for formal guide dog training. No prior dog training experience is required, and raisers can have other pets at home. GDB covers the puppy's veterinary costs for its lifetime with the organization.
The Lone Tree/Highlands Ranch club's members live across the south Denver metro, including Lone Tree, Parker, Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Littleton, Roxborough and Ken Caryl. Group outings have included visits to a local fire station, local farms and a light rail ride, part of exposing young puppies to everyday sights and sounds before their formal training begins.
About Guide Dogs for the Blind
Guide Dogs for the Blind has graduated nearly 18,000 clients from the U.S. and Canada since it was founded in 1942. Its services are free to clients who are blind or visually impaired, and the organization receives no government funding, relying instead on donors and volunteers. GDB runs about 100 local puppy-raising clubs like the one based in Lone Tree.
Get involved
GDB is looking for more volunteers to serve as puppy raisers or puppy sitters. No prior dog training experience is required. More information is at guidedogs.com/puppy.
Find more ways to give back in our guide to Douglas County nonprofits, and browse local volunteer opportunities on our events calendar.
Source: City of Lone Tree, "Small Paws, Big Impact: Local Puppy Raisers Give the Blind Greater Independence and Confidence," cityoflonetree.com, checked Oct. 20, re-verified Oct. 30, 2026.