Guide dog training is on the bill at Gateway Playhouse in Somers Point
Gateway has partnered with People and Puppies at Work for Sight, an organization that trains puppies to become Seeing Eye dogs for the blind.
“The partnership just means that the dogs are welcome here anytime,” Gateway board chair Katie Calvi said. “They are welcome to learn about the real world by coming to the theater.”
People and Puppies at Work train dogs for The Seeing Eye, the country’s oldest guide dog training organization based in Morristown, New Jersey.
The Gateway theater got involved through its technical director Avagliano, who has trained guide dogs for 21 years.
Avagliano’s latest— and 18th — trainee is Mars, a 7-month-old German Shepard who started attending theater at 2 months.
Video Summary
AI GeneratedGateway Playhouse has partnered with the Seeing Eye Foundation to provide a training ground for future guide dogs. By utilizing the theater's hectic environment, puppies like Mars the German Shepherd learn to remain calm amidst various sights and sounds, supporting the theater's mission to serve as a community hub.