Dorothy Eustis

Dorothy Eustis (1886 – 1946)

The SEEING EYE, founded by Dorothy Eustis in 1929, was a source of hope and independence for the visually impaired.  How befitting that Dorothy Eustis was born in Philadelphia, the site of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America 2013 Centennial Celebration. In 1921 Ms. Eustis moved to Switzerland where she instituted a breeding kennel exclusively for German Shepherd Dogs.  In 1927 she wrote an article about a German School that trained dogs to assist blind veterans.   This article changed forever the life of Morris Frank who was blind.  Mr. Frank contacted Mrs. Eustis and went to Switzerland where he learned to work with a German Shepherd named “BUDDY”.

The Eustis’s returned to the US and established the first SEEING EYE school in Nashville TN the home town of Morris Frank who had attended Vanderbilt University.  In 1932 the school was moved to New Jersey.  At the time of her death in 1946 the school had trained and provided over 1300 dogs for the blind.

"Bystanders look on in amazement as they witness the first SEEING EYE DOG BUDDY, lead her blind master, Morris Frank through the streets of Nashville TN"

Read more about Dorothy Harrison Eustis and this program in a 1927 article in the Saturday Evening Post at the bottom on this series of articles.