More than 70 puppies in Michigan are looking for love and care to help with guide dog training.

On November 11, Guide dogs for the blinda nonprofit guide dog organization in Rochester Hills, Michigan, said it is “urgently in need” of volunteers known as puppy raisers. The puppy raisers take puppies born at Leaders Dogs for the Blind and spend about a year raising them in a home setting where the dogs can learn basic obedience, encounter various new experiences and work on their social skills.

Leaders Dogs for the Blind currently has over 70 puppies ready to move in with puppy raisers and begin the next step of their guide dog training journey.

“Whether you’ve been a ‘dog person’ for years or have never owned a dog, you can be a puppy raiser,” Leader Dogs for the Blind manager Vijay Yoshi said in a statement.

“You’ll learn lots of great skills, meet like-minded people in your community, have a daily walking partner and most importantly help someone who is blind experience safety and confidence when traveling independently Yoshi continued.

Leader Dogs for the Blind noted in its November 11 announcement that volunteers – a role suitable for many, including retirees, families, couples, working professionals and those living alone – have “flexible options” for fostering a puppy.

Volunteers can choose to raise a puppy for 12-14 months or share the commitment of raising the puppy with another person or household.

Puppy raisers “focus on teaching basic obedience, good house manners and socialization skills,” according to Leaders Dogs for the Blind. To help train guide dogs for greatness, volunteers will have access to “expert guidance from a dedicated puppy advisor,” “detailed online training modules” and “group meetings” with other puppy raisers.

Leaders for the Blind provides veterinary care for the puppy and the “starter supplies” the little dog will need. Once a Leader Dogs for the Blind puppy has spent a year growing up in a home, it returns to the nonprofit’s campus and begins its guide dog training. Dogs that go to training and complete the program without problems go on to match and graduate with a visually impaired person.

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Leader Dogs for the Blind provides free guide dogs and canes to people who are blind or visually impaired, according to the nonprofit. website. Since the organization was founded in 1942, more than 16,000 guide dog teams have graduated. More than 2,000 Leader Dogs for the Blind guide dog teams are active in North America today.

Volunteers who want to help raise the puppies can either visit LeaderDog.Org/Volunteer or call 888-777-5332, according to the organization.