Aberdeen's Very Own Wagging Wonders

Growing up, Jim Ruth never had a puppy. In fact, throughout much of his adulthood, Jim never got to experience the joys and challenges of raising his own best friend.

When Jim and his wife, Louise, moved to Aberdeen and had their backyard fenced in, all of that changed.

For Jim's birthday, the couple, who has been married for 18 years, brought home Misty.

"We looked all around in ads in the paper," Jim said. "We found a man who owned a dog that had puppies."

Misty's life was cut short, however, when she got sick shortly before her sixth birthday and died from a blood clot.

Jim and Louise were saddened by the loss of their newest family member. The couple knew they could never replace Misty, but hoped to find another dog they could love just as much.

Jim heard about the Seeing Eye, and began looking into raising puppies. He wasn't sure what it took to qualify as a puppy raiser or if this was the right choice for them.

"I didn't know if I could do it and then give the puppy up," Louise said.

Ultimately Jim and Louise reasoned that although they would only get a few short years with the puppy, at least they would be doing something good for the community.

"I thought if it was meant to be, it would be," Jim said. "God must work in mysterious ways because right away we were babysitting puppies [for other Seeing Eye members] and soon we were getting our own."

The Monmouth County chapter of the Seeing Eye is called the Wagging Wonders. According to their website, those approved to raise a puppy recieve a 7-week-old puppy and are tasked with providing the puppy with "love, guidance, socialization and care until they are returned to the Seeing Eye between the ages of 14 and 18 months." Puppy raisers are given a stipend for food, a guide to properly raise a puppy and the Seeing Eye also funds all of the veterinary visits and check-ups.

Jim and Louise welcomed Scarlet, a female German Shepard, into their home and began the process of training and raising her.

"It was perfect for me. Here I was retired, and I could do volunteer work that I would enjoy. It's at home; it's not burdensome. Here I am doing all of that plus I feel that I can contribute to society and volunteer during my retirement," Jim said.

After just a year and a half of bonding and training Scarlet, it was time to return her to the Seeing Eye. Once returned, she had to go through final training and evaluation before being placed with an individual in need.

Jim and Louise enjoyed raising Scarlet so much, they said, that they chose to raise another Seeing Eye dog. They welcomed Kelsey, also a German Shepard, into their home shortly after seeing Scarlet off.

But after having Kelsey for only a few weeks, they received news that Scarlet was dropped from the program. The Seeing Eye offered the Ruth's the opportunity to adopt Scarlet, now 3-years-old, permanently.

"We said definitely," said Louise.

"We were afraid that when Scarlet came back and Kelsey was already established here, that they would be territorial. But there was no problem, they got along just great together from the minute that they met," Jim said.

Recently, it was Kelsey's turn to go back to the Seeing Eye. Currently, she is a candidate for the breeding program, according to Jim. If she is not selected for breeding she will be matched with an individual in need. If she is selected for breeding, the Ruth's hope to have their third Seeing Eye dog be one of Kelsey's puppies. If she is selected for breeding, the Ruth's will have a chance to adopt Kelsey permanently after she breeds between two and three litters. They said they fully intend to adopt her any chance they get.

With their friends and fellow puppy raisers from the Wagging Wonders, Jim and Louise went on train rides, large walks and even to a Blue Claws game with the puppies. It's an important part of socializing the dogs, Jim said. At the end of the day, the couple enjoys giving back to the community by doing something that they see as simple - providing love and caring for a puppy.

"I enjoy walking the dog around the neighborhood. You meet all your neighbors that you wouldn't typically meet. Animal lovers and dog lovers will approach you, and as soon as people start asking questions I right away promote the seeing eye program and that the dog is a seeing eye dog," Jim said.