MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Manatee County woman has taken 24 dogs into her home over the past several years to give them a place to live while they are being trained by Southeastern Guide Dogs.

What You Need To Know

  • Karen van de Vandre has homed 24 dogs for Southeastern Guide Dogs during their training

  • Van de Vandre takes Santi for long walks each morning before driving him to Southeastern Guide Dogs for training

  • Southeastern Guide Dogs says volunteers like van de Vandre are invaluable to the organization

  • Would you like to nominate an Everyday Hero? Click here

Karen van de Vandre enjoys caring for the dogs that will help other people.

Van de Vandre is currently providing a home for a black Labrador Retriever named Shanti. She takes him for a long walk each morning and afternoon using a loose leash approach as instructed by Southeastern Guide Dogs.

“I’m not training. I’m simply following through with their instructions,” she said. “They’re the trainers. They’re the ones that know exactly what to do with the dogs. But I carry out those same things when he is with me.”

Inside her home van de Vandre has a bedroom set up for Shanti with plenty of toys. And she often plays fetch with him.

Van de Vandre started taking in dogs while they were being trained at the start of the pandemic.

“With 24 animals, 24 dogs that I have had since the pandemic started, you see a little bit of everything. It’s just very rewarding,” she said.

Van de Vandre takes Shanti on a 20-minute car ride to Southeastern Guide Dogs for his training. It’s almost like taking a child to school.

“Well, that’s exactly what I am doing,” she said. “I’m taking my boy into school.”

At Southeastern Guide Dogs, Marisa Blanco, the manager of the service dog program, demonstrated some of the training that Shanti receives, which includes touching his nose to a target on a stick and then using that nose touching skill to turn on a lamp that is activated by touch.

Blanco said volunteers like van de Vandre who provide homes for the dogs are invaluable.

“There are no words to express how valuable they are to our program and to the school itself. Having someone like Karen who day sits for us is a huge commitment.”

As van de Vandre watched Shanti being trained, she felt a little like a proud parent.

“He is just doing so brilliantly. I am so pleased,” she said.