Pine Tree Guide Dog Users PTGDU

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Pine Tree Guide Dog Users PTGDU

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Mission & Membership
PTGDU is a philanthropic organization whose mission is to promote complete acceptance of guide dog teams in all aspects of life.

Opening Doors to Independence and Opportunity
Pine tree Guide Dog Users (PTGDU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization serving blind and low vision residents of Maine and beyond who are partnered with specially trained guide dogs. In pursuit of this mission, PTGDU members engage in a wide variety of opportunities and activities that take place year-round throughout the state. The majority of PTGDU members are current and former guide dog handlers. They may be students, teachers, attorneys, homemakers, state employees, entrepreneurs, volunteers, or retirees. But no matter their backgrounds, they all share a culture of acceptance, inclusion, peer support, diversity, equality, respect, and direct action. History
In 1997, the founders of PTGDU requested and received affiliate status in Guide Dog Users, Inc., a nationwide nonprofit organization that strives to promote civil rights and enhance the quality of life for working guide dog teams. During its formation, key funding was received from The American Council of the Blind of Maine and other generous supporters. Later in 2017, PTGDU was incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization in the state of Maine and received federal 501(c)(3) designation.

10/16/2026

Forward Together Meets Every Crossing Counts
A quiet neighborhood. A busy Manhattan intersection. Plenty of streets to cross! Join Jake and Melissa, the blind couple and Forward Together co-hosts, as they share how they approach street crossings safely and independently.
Created especially for Every Crossing Counts, their video gives drivers and cyclists a firsthand look at the decisions being made on the other side of the curb. Watch it, share it, or make it part of your next campaign presentation.
Big thanks to Jake and Melissa for bringing their lived experiences and teamwork to the Every Crossing Counts campaign. We’re glad to be moving forward together! 💛

10/15/2026

Who invited the German Shepherd to White Cane Safety Day? We did! 🐾💛

White canes and guide dog teams belong in the spotlight today. So this handsome fellow is right where he belongs!

Those ears may steal the spotlight, but the distinct harness carries the message! 🐾 Look for a harness with a rigid handle extending along the dog’s back, held by the person walking with the dog. It signals that the pedestrian is blind or has low vision.

Behind the wheel or on a bike? Here’s your cue:
🚦 Stay alert for pedestrians using white canes or guide dogs.
🚦 Slow down and be ready to stop.
🚦 Yield and give the team time and space to cross. Keep crosswalks clear, and remember that a wave or eye contact may go unseen.

White Cane Safety Day, October 15, celebrates the independence of people who are blind or have low vision and reminds everyone to respect their right to travel safely. Let’s give those paws and canes room to move! 💛

Big thanks to The Seeing Eye, Inc. for the German Shepherd photo!

www.EveryCrossingCounts.org

10/13/2026

A flyer in one hand. A water bottle in the other. An Every Crossing Counts shirt to bring the whole look together. 👕💙🧡

Heading to a library, school, or community event to share campaign materials? Make your own T-shirt or hoodie and wear the message while you spread the word. You might spark a conversation before you even say hello!

Find the design and free materials at www.EveryCrossingCounts.org. While you’re there, check out our campaign Talking Points to help keep the conversation rolling!

Thanks to Chris Espiritu for giving our street-crossing safety message a look you can wear and share!

Stay Alert. Slow Down. Yield.

10/07/2026

Heading to work. Meeting a friend for lunch. Running errands. People who are blind or have low vision use white canes or guide dogs to cross streets as part of everyday life.

Our Real Stories: Why Every Crossing Counts page brings together personal experiences and news reports that show how events at a crossing can stay with someone long after they reach the other side.

By staying alert, slowing down, and yielding, drivers and cyclists can help make those everyday journeys safer.

Take a few minutes to read, then share the page to help the message travel! 🦯🦮

https://pinetreeguidedogusers.org/real-stories-why-every-crossing-counts/

10/05/2026

Who’s up for a little downtown adventure? This duo is taking it in stride! 🐾💙

Past the shops, along the sidewalk, and up to the corner. A pause, a street crossing, and onward they go!

These three snapshots capture an everyday partnership in action. The person and guide dog each bring skills to the team, navigating independently together, one outing at a time.

Driving or cycling nearby? You have a part in their story, too! Recognize the guide dog harness, give the team time and space, and keep crossings clear.

Stay Alert. Slow Down. Yield.

Find tips for sharing the road safely at www.EveryCrossingCounts.org.

10/02/2026

🖍️🐾 Grab the crayons. We’re off to the country store!

October is Blindness Awareness Month, and our Guide Dogs in Action Educational Series brings a guide dog partnership into the classroom, one adventure at a time! 🍎📚

Teachers and educators, invite your students to follow A Trip to the Country Store and discover the skills a guide dog team uses along the way. Our coloring page lets kids add their own colorful touch to the adventure! 🎨

The free resources include:

🐾 A skills poster and handout showing a guide dog team in action
📖 Supplemental material to help educators prepare
✏️ A skills worksheet for grades 2–3
📚 A lesson plan for grades 2–3 with two 30-minute classroom modules
🖍️ A coloring page for kids

Want a little something to tuck into those books? Add an Every Crossing Counts bookmark to help children recognize a guide dog in harness and a white cane, two different ways people who are blind or have low vision travel independently. 🔖💛

Bring a little guide dog learning to your classroom this October, and keep the discoveries going all year!

Explore the Guide Dogs in Action series in the Educational Corner on the www.PineTreeGuideDogUsers.org website. Find our bookmarks at www.EveryCrossingCounts.org.

10/01/2026

📣 Extra, extra! Our October Monthly News Update is here, and this one has something special to bark about! 🐾

It’s a SPECIAL EDITION celebrating our Every Crossing Counts campaign and Blindness Awareness Month! 🎉

Come see what we’ve been cooking up: free campaign goodies to share, real stories, handy talking points, and a peek at the wonderful people who helped bring it all together. There’s even a “Recipe for Safer Street Crossings.” Spoiler alert: a pinch of patience goes a long way! 😊

Our message for drivers and cyclists is simple:
Stay Alert. Slow Down. Yield.

Grab your favorite fall beverage, settle in, and give it a read! 🍎
https://www.PineTreeGuideDogUsers.org/monthly-news-updates

Then help us get the message moving by sharing this post with friends, family, and your community. Every share helps make every crossing count! 💛

A big thank-you to Guiding Eyes for the Blind for sharing this wonderful photo!

09/30/2026

🐾 Little pup. Big dreams. A bookmark with a story to tell! 📚💛

Meet the adorable black Lab puppy on our newest Every Crossing Counts children’s bookmark! With a guide dog harness in his mouth, he gives kids a clue to remember: a dog wearing this special harness is guiding someone who is blind!

✨ Flip it over for the big reveal! Kids can see the pup all grown up and guiding his partner across a street, plus a woman crossing with a long white cane. Guide dogs and white canes are two ways people who are blind or have low vision navigate independently.

Share a little puppy love and a lesson that lasts long after the book is closed. Together, we can help the next generation make every crossing count! 💛

👏 A big, heartfelt thanks to Leader Dogs for the Blind for the wonderful photos and to Chris Espiritu for bringing it all together with this delightful design!

Download the bookmark design at www.EveryCrossingCounts.org.

09/28/2026

🚴 Two cyclists, one white cane user, and a message we can all take along for the ride.

Our cyclist friends are helping us spread the word: safer streets matter to everyone who uses them. Whether you’re out for a weekend ride or heading across town, watch for pedestrians using white canes or guide dogs and give them time to cross.

Are you part of a cycling club? Share www.EveryCrossingCounts.org

with your fellow riders. We have free materials you can use to get the conversation rolling!

Stay Alert. Slow Down. Yield.

09/23/2026

Do you recognize this pup? 🐾

Here’s a hint: This puppy has a starring role in our Every Crossing Counts children’s bookmark! One day, a puppy like this may guide someone who is blind. When that dog is working in a harness, drivers and cyclists need to stay alert, slow down, and yield.

Our free campaign materials are ready to share. Consider asking your local library or school if you can set up a small display or provide bookmarks for children to take home.

Thank you to The Seeing Eye and Leader Dogs for the Blind for helping us bring this bookmark to life.

Explore the campaign and download materials at www.EveryCrossingCounts.org

Address

P. O. Box 6157
Falmouth, ME
04105

Website

http://PineTreeGuideDogUsers.org/

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