Johns Hopkins Hospital Nurse Volunteers to Train Guide Dogs
Nurse Kristen Chusid is committed to Guiding Eyes for the Blind's mission
In her off-hours, Johns Hopkins Hospital Medical Intensive Care Unit nurse Kristen Chusid has another special job. Chusid volunteers to raise puppies to be guide dogs for the nonprofit Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
“I get a puppy at 8 weeks and attend puppy classes. They are with me 24/7,” says Chusid. “I help teach them certain skills, and once they get old enough, I bring them on socialization outings to expose them to different scenarios. You want to make them comfortable with as many different experiences as possible. I will even bring my pups-in-training to the hospital as part of their training to expose them to some of the sights, sounds and smells they may encounter once matched with a blind handler.”
Chusid has worked at the hospital for 12 years. Until recently, she split her time between the medical intensive care unit and the hospital’s biocontainment unit. On the days she worked in the biocontainment unit, she sometimes brought her dog to work when the unit was not activated and no patients were present. There, the pup could experience things like simulation mannequins, hospital rooms and equipment, hospital alarms, the smells of a hospital (like hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes), practicing ignoring food on the ground, and learning what someone in varying levels of personal protective equipment can look like. She took them in elevators several times a day, and the dogs even practiced relieving themselves in a city environment with little grass, something most dogs find challenging.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind provides guide dogs to individuals with vision loss at no charge. The main campus is in New York, but they have puppy-raising “regions” across the East Coast, including a region in Baltimore. Chusid also manages the social media for the Baltimore chapter.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is one of the organizations that train dogs to assist people with dual disabilities, such as deafness and blindness. When a client has a specific need, they will train that dog to meet it. Guiding Eyes is also the world’s only running guide program. They train the dogs to run with the handlers in case the blind person has a running hobby.
“Having a dog can be a remarkable change in people’s independence,” Chusid says. “They get a sense of comfort and safety that they aren’t able to get from a cane. They have the confidence to be out in the city and crossing streets. Clients say it is life-changing. You have the company of someone who loves you all the time. The bond is something that can’t be replaced.”
Chusid says the most surprising thing about training is that the general public doesn’t realize how to best support the dogs and handlers while they are working.
“We appreciate you not touching the dog and stopping them from doing their job,” Chusid says.
Chusid says she has learned a lot about dogs’ body language and behavior. She has also learned a lot about herself, like her capacity to give, in understanding that the dogs are ultimately being trained to help someone with vision loss gain greater independence in their life.
“Puppy-raising is a lot of giving and about your capability to give and prepare a dog for someone else,” she says. “Even though you love the dogs so much, you ultimately know they are not yours and have to give them back. You put so much work into them and watch them grow into a guide dog you are so proud of. It hits you right in the heart.”
Chusid says she is thankful for the great community of other puppy raisers in Baltimore.
“We have play dates,” she says. “It’s so nice to have chats with each other and problem solve. There is such a great sense of community and camaraderie.”
Puppy raiser Laura Coleman has known Chusid since July 2021. Coleman recalls going to a holiday light show with Chusid and their dogs.
“It’s at night, and there are amazing displays. There are hundreds of people,” Coleman says. “We just walked through there with the dogs for about an hour. We let them experience the crowds and all the smells. It’s a learning opportunity for our dogs and the people around us. It’s about getting as many experiences as possible so they’re prepared.”
Coleman says Chusid is one of the best examples of a puppy raiser.
“As an experienced raiser, Kristen unofficially serves as a mentor to those who are just starting. She goes above and beyond,” says Coleman. “Anybody who knows her would recognize she has such a calming presence around the dogs. Her dogs pick up on her energy level and learn to focus on and emulate the things we want to see in guides. She does it so easily. I know what she’s doing is not easy, but she’s consistent, patient and reassuring. That’s who she is all the time.”
Coleman says Chusid is also gifted at showcasing the dogs as well.
“She creates all the social media for the Baltimore region,” says Coleman. “It’s a huge thing because it raises awareness that this is happening and helps us get more sitters and raisers. She’s a super creative rockstar on social media. For example, for Father’s Day, she’ll post a picture of all the dads of the pups in our region, or she will create a really fun video snippet for a fundraiser.”
Holly Voelker is the first line of contact for the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Baltimore chapter when someone is interested in becoming a puppy raiser. She met Chusid while she was filling out an application, and Voelker knew right away that she’d be a good fit.
“When I met her, she was very willing to get started,” says Voelker. “I was raising a puppy named Pablo. She was so great about helping me out and backing me up. I admire her willingness to puppy-sit.”
Voelker says it takes a special kind of person to raise a puppy.
“There are a lot of hours that go into this experience,” she says. “Like many people who volunteer with us, Kristen is committed to the cause. I always admire people like that because it takes a huge amount of time and energy. She does it for the greater good.”
Vickie Jacobs has been volunteering alongside Chusid for seven years. Both were puppy sitters before they became puppy raisers.
“We transitioned from puppy sitters to puppy raisers around the same time. We even picked up puppies from the Guiding Eyes puppy stork together,” says Jacobs. “So, Kristen and I have spent a lot of time together taking our pups out on outings. It’s a different experience for the pups and us, going out together versus on our own. We are adding another layer of distraction into their experience. So, we are always watching each other and learning ways to keep our pups connected. We sometimes reward our pups after our outings with some playtime. Kristen is like the cool aunt! She always has a backpack full of bright, colorful, fun toys for our puppies!”
Jacobs says Chusid contributes so much to the organization.
“She’s always willing and able,” Jacobs says. “She has a good, kind heart, and it shows with each and every one of us. We’re so happy to have her in our Baltimore community.”
For more information, visit guidingeyes.org.
“I get a puppy at 8 weeks and attend puppy classes. They are with me 24/7,” says Chusid. “I help teach them certain skills, and once they get old enough, I bring them on socialization outings to expose them to different scenarios. You want to make them comfortable with as many different experiences as possible. I will even bring my pups-in-training to the hospital as part of their training to expose them to some of the sights, sounds and smells they may encounter once matched with a blind handler.”
Chusid has worked at the hospital for 12 years. Until recently, she split her time between the medical intensive care unit and the hospital’s biocontainment unit. On the days she worked in the biocontainment unit, she sometimes brought her dog to work when the unit was not activated and no patients were present. There, the pup could experience things like simulation mannequins, hospital rooms and equipment, hospital alarms, the smells of a hospital (like hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes), practicing ignoring food on the ground, and learning what someone in varying levels of personal protective equipment can look like. She took them in elevators several times a day, and the dogs even practiced relieving themselves in a city environment with little grass, something most dogs find challenging.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind provides guide dogs to individuals with vision loss at no charge. The main campus is in New York, but they have puppy-raising “regions” across the East Coast, including a region in Baltimore. Chusid also manages the social media for the Baltimore chapter.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is one of the organizations that train dogs to assist people with dual disabilities, such as deafness and blindness. When a client has a specific need, they will train that dog to meet it. Guiding Eyes is also the world’s only running guide program. They train the dogs to run with the handlers in case the blind person has a running hobby.
“Having a dog can be a remarkable change in people’s independence,” Chusid says. “They get a sense of comfort and safety that they aren’t able to get from a cane. They have the confidence to be out in the city and crossing streets. Clients say it is life-changing. You have the company of someone who loves you all the time. The bond is something that can’t be replaced.”
Chusid says the most surprising thing about training is that the general public doesn’t realize how to best support the dogs and handlers while they are working.
“We appreciate you not touching the dog and stopping them from doing their job,” Chusid says.
Chusid says she has learned a lot about dogs’ body language and behavior. She has also learned a lot about herself, like her capacity to give, in understanding that the dogs are ultimately being trained to help someone with vision loss gain greater independence in their life.
“Puppy-raising is a lot of giving and about your capability to give and prepare a dog for someone else,” she says. “Even though you love the dogs so much, you ultimately know they are not yours and have to give them back. You put so much work into them and watch them grow into a guide dog you are so proud of. It hits you right in the heart.”
Chusid says she is thankful for the great community of other puppy raisers in Baltimore.
“We have play dates,” she says. “It’s so nice to have chats with each other and problem solve. There is such a great sense of community and camaraderie.”
Puppy raiser Laura Coleman has known Chusid since July 2021. Coleman recalls going to a holiday light show with Chusid and their dogs.
“It’s at night, and there are amazing displays. There are hundreds of people,” Coleman says. “We just walked through there with the dogs for about an hour. We let them experience the crowds and all the smells. It’s a learning opportunity for our dogs and the people around us. It’s about getting as many experiences as possible so they’re prepared.”
Coleman says Chusid is one of the best examples of a puppy raiser.
“As an experienced raiser, Kristen unofficially serves as a mentor to those who are just starting. She goes above and beyond,” says Coleman. “Anybody who knows her would recognize she has such a calming presence around the dogs. Her dogs pick up on her energy level and learn to focus on and emulate the things we want to see in guides. She does it so easily. I know what she’s doing is not easy, but she’s consistent, patient and reassuring. That’s who she is all the time.”
Coleman says Chusid is also gifted at showcasing the dogs as well.
“She creates all the social media for the Baltimore region,” says Coleman. “It’s a huge thing because it raises awareness that this is happening and helps us get more sitters and raisers. She’s a super creative rockstar on social media. For example, for Father’s Day, she’ll post a picture of all the dads of the pups in our region, or she will create a really fun video snippet for a fundraiser.”
Holly Voelker is the first line of contact for the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Baltimore chapter when someone is interested in becoming a puppy raiser. She met Chusid while she was filling out an application, and Voelker knew right away that she’d be a good fit.
“When I met her, she was very willing to get started,” says Voelker. “I was raising a puppy named Pablo. She was so great about helping me out and backing me up. I admire her willingness to puppy-sit.”
Voelker says it takes a special kind of person to raise a puppy.
“There are a lot of hours that go into this experience,” she says. “Like many people who volunteer with us, Kristen is committed to the cause. I always admire people like that because it takes a huge amount of time and energy. She does it for the greater good.”
Vickie Jacobs has been volunteering alongside Chusid for seven years. Both were puppy sitters before they became puppy raisers.
“We transitioned from puppy sitters to puppy raisers around the same time. We even picked up puppies from the Guiding Eyes puppy stork together,” says Jacobs. “So, Kristen and I have spent a lot of time together taking our pups out on outings. It’s a different experience for the pups and us, going out together versus on our own. We are adding another layer of distraction into their experience. So, we are always watching each other and learning ways to keep our pups connected. We sometimes reward our pups after our outings with some playtime. Kristen is like the cool aunt! She always has a backpack full of bright, colorful, fun toys for our puppies!”
Jacobs says Chusid contributes so much to the organization.
“She’s always willing and able,” Jacobs says. “She has a good, kind heart, and it shows with each and every one of us. We’re so happy to have her in our Baltimore community.”
For more information, visit guidingeyes.org.