Patch first met with volunteers of Future Vision, a local group who takes in puppies to prepare them for specialized training to become guide or service dogs, last November.
At the time, we met three dogs at various stages of their volunteer training. Allegra, a Golden Retriever, was the seasoned veteran of the bunch and was getting ready to head off to 'college' in Boring, Ore., to finish her training.
This past weekend, according to the group's Facebook page, Allegra graduated.
We caught up with volunteer Cory Olson who with a large group of volunteers, attended Allegra's graduation.
Traditionally, the graduation is also the moment the volunteer trainer gets to pass the leash off to the blind partner. That honor was given to Allegra's primary trainer Kristen Schuver, an Enumclaw School District employee who frequenly took Allegra to school with her.
Olson shared the partner was a woman in her 60s who began using guide dogs since she was 17; Allegra is her 11th dog.
The Plateau group of puppy raisers has been around since 1985 and has worked with more than 230 puppies and 73 families in that time. It is made up of residents in Enumclaw, Buckley, Black Diamond and Bonney Lake and has benefitted from the assistance of local school districts including Enumclaw, White River and Sumner for allowing the puppies into their schools and various events as part of their training.
If you'd like to learn more about what it takes to raise such a puppy, the group is holding a fundraiser on April 27 at Midtown Grill in Bonney Lake from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Breakfast will cost $10 with half of proceeds going back to the club.
Meanwhile, here's our piece from November 2012. Similarly, you can call club leader Jana Decker at 360-802-9858 for more information.
