04/25/2026
To celebrate and honor the hard work, dedication, and compassion of our region’s volunteers for National Volunteer Week, today we are shining the spotlight on Madison Malanowski!
Madison has been volunteering with Guiding Eyes for the Blind since the end of 2021, though she says her GEB “origin story” started in Ithaca back in the 1990s. Her mom became a raiser while at the Cornell Vet School and went on to raise a total of 5 dogs—3 guide dogs, 1 stud, and 1 released dog (becoming Madison’s childhood dog, Carson). Though her parents stopped raising, Madison grew up knowing that she one day would, and she finally got certified in 2021. She has raised four dogs—Nitro, a male yellow lab; Yosemite, a male black lab; Azul, a female yellow lab; and she is currently starting Emmeline, a female yellow lab. At the moment she is located in the Monroe region, but she will be returning to the Finger Lakes region in the fall.
Madison shares that her favorite memory from Guiding Eyes was when she was offered the opportunity to walk with her first dog, Nitro, in harness. At the time, Nitro was in the Specialized Training Program, designed to train guide dogs for people with blindness/vision loss who have additional disabilities. After Nitro had been in training for over 14 months, his trainer allowed her to visit him while she was doing an internship at GEB.
She says, “The moment I picked up his handle and cued him ‘forward’, I knew he was exactly where he was meant to be. Walking with him was a once in a lifetime experience that is forever etched in my memory, and I could not only see, but feel, that he was born to do this. That walk changed my perspective on raising, and the next 5 months before he graduated were filled with peace knowing he was happy, confident, loved, and doing what he was meant to do.” She said that seeing him graduate and getting to meet his handler was also an incredible experience. She recalls, “seeing them together and seeing the love they already had was so special. I left graduation feeling proud of the dog he had become, knowing the team would do amazing things together and that he would be so loved by his new family.”
When asked about her favorite part of being a volunteer Madison said there are many! She loves the community and the lifelong friends she has made. She has also met so many incredible dogs, and she loves to contribute to their journey as they go on to change somebody’s life. She says, “Watching them learn and grow, from tiny puppies who tumble into the big wide world with bright eyes and eagerness, to a confident mature dog taking on IFT and beyond is just a beautiful thing to be a part of.”
Madison’s advice to someone thinking about volunteering with the organization is to slow down, breath, and take it all in. She shares, “it goes by so quickly, blink and you will miss the wonder that is the process. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Your time together is so short, so enjoy every step and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing or thinking, because all that matters is the puppy in front of you. You’ll get there, so there’s no need to rush. And just have fun!”
Thank you so much, Madison, for your enthusiasm in answering these questions, and for your constant dedication to this organization both inside and outside of our region.
*alt text added*
Image Description: Two photos of Madison and Azul are centered in the middle. Behind the photos is a light blue background with darker blue pawprints going from bottom left to top right, and the text “Member Spotlight” is above and “Madison Malanowski” is below. In the left photo, Madison is sitting on a curb on the right next to Azul, who is lying down on a stone tile floor on the left. Both are looking directly at the camera. Madison is wearing a purple long sleeved shirt and blue jeans and Azul is wearing her blue training vest. Behind them are large plants. In the right photo, Madison is sitting on a wooden bench on the right. She is playing with Azul who is jumping on the right with a blue fuzzy toy. Madison and Azul are wearing the same things, and they are in the same setting. Azul and Madison are looking at each other, and Madison is smiling.
