The Volunteer Breeding Stock Custodian job is local to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Breeding stock custodians are essential volunteers who provide day-to-day care of GDB's valuable breeder dogs. You are invited to consider this exciting volunteer opportunity to literally care for the sires and dams of future working guide dogs while including a special dog in your family.
Custodian criteria:
- The desire to volunteer to support Guide Dogs' mission;
- Enthusiasm to learn about Guide Dogs' mission of service to people who are visually impaired and how the breeding program supports that mission;
- Willingness to comply with Guide Dogs' protocols and practices;
- Flexibility to accommodate the breeding dog's schedule and breeding program's needs;
- Ability to provide a safe, secure, care giving home for a large, reproductively active dog; and
- Live within 50 miles of Guide Dogs' San Rafael, CA campus.
In addition, when a Volunteer Breeding Stock Custodian welcomes a dog into their home, they are responsible for providing the following:
- Dog food as recommended by Guide Dogs;
- Equipment (such as leashes, grooming tools, etc.);
- Daily exercise and grooming;
- Flea-free environment;
- Formal obedience training;
- Attendance at required veterinary care appointments; and
- Transportation to and from GDB's California campus in San Rafael when the dog's breeding services are required (brood bitches may require 8-10 round trips per year since they are required to be boarded in a kennel when they are in season; stud dogs may require as many as 15).
Select staff within the Breeding Department carefully review each potential custodian's application and home environment to ensure that the breeding dogs are placed in healthy, safe and secure homes. The screening process includes:
- A written application;
- A telephone interview;
- An on-campus group orientation held at GDB's California campus;
- A home visit, which includes yard and fence evaluations; and
- Completion of an on-campus dog management class which covers dog handling and training tips, dog behavior, and canine health care and grooming.
You would also need to agree to adhere to the following requirements to ensure the dogs' safety and well-being. Breeding stock dogs are required to:
- Sleep indoors as part of the family and
- Be kept on leash when not in a securely fenced area (no exceptions).
Employees, volunteers and students are expected to observe appropriate standards of performance and conduct to ensure that Guide Dogs' mission is carried out in a safe, ethical and orderly way. To assist in setting high standards in our workplace, Guide Dogs for the Blind has defined organizational values to use as a guide when working with each other, our dogs, and the public. Read more about Guide Dogs' mission here.
If you're interested in joining the volunteer breeding stock custodian program and meet the criteria listed above, please complete our Breeding Stock Custodian application.