People and Events

Fifteen puppies in little yellow coats went on a plane ride Wednesday--from Burbank Airport to Orange County’s John Wayne Airport and back again. The German shepherds, Labrador and golden retrievers--8 weeks to 18 months old--are students at a Los Angeles guide dog school.

“We thought it would be a great idea for the puppy raisers to take the pups on a trip,” explained Jean Seagrave-Smith, of International Guiding Eyes, “to get the puppies acquainted with being in the air. It’s just like teaching a child.”

Seagrave-Smith said all licensed guide dogs must know how to travel. The plane trip was to teach each dog how to sit under the seat of its future blind owner (unlike regular dogs, who have to travel in cargo holds).

Alaska Airlines provided free passage for both volunteer trainers and puppies. There was no report on whether all the puppies were plane-broken, but they were described as “well-behaved.”