Coffey, a 2026 high school graduate who plans to attend Boston College, comes from a family that has raised eight puppies for the Morristown-based nonprofit. She is a member of The Seeing Eye’s Somerset County Puppy Raising Club, a local group for volunteers who help prepare young dogs for their next stage of training.
Scholarship recipients must have raised at least two Seeing Eye puppies and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement and involvement in their communities. The Seeing Eye awarded scholarships to 18 college-bound puppy raisers as part of its annual Family Day recognition program; the awards totaled $56,000. The organization also recognized veteran puppy raisers and puppy-raising club volunteers for their service.
Puppy raiser families provide a home for approximately one year while teaching basic obedience, house manners and socialization skills. The dogs may later continue through The Seeing Eye’s training program to guide people who are blind. New photos supplied with the update show Coffey with Lenny, one of the puppies raised through her family’s service, as well as Lenny as a young puppy.
The Seeing Eye, established in 1929, provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people who are blind. For information about becoming a puppy raiser or sitter, visit seeingeye.org/raise.
