Blind Dog Names

When Frank was a young man of 19, his father wrote to Dorothy Eustis asking her to train a guide dog for his son. Dorothy Eustis was spearheading a guide dog training program in Britain and Sweden. She was deeply moved by the letter and invited Frank to join her at her home in Switzerland while they trained two dogs. Frank bonded closely with a German Shepherd female dog named Kiss. It became obvious that the two were meant to be together. Frank renamed Kiss and started calling her Buddy. 

Frank and Buddy set sail for the United States. When the boat docked, Buddy boldly led Frank into the streets of New York City. The dog quickly and efficiently led Frank through the throng of reporters at the ship, and helped him cross the taxi cab laden street. The pair made their way to West Street. Everyone watching the duo was enthralled and amazed. Despite the chaos of the city, Buddy never faltered. She bravely led Frank everywhere. Later that day, Frank sent a telegraph to Eustis proclaiming their success.

 The successful relationship between Frank and Buddy spurred Eustis to set sail for America and start The Seeing Eye School where she focused on training dogs for the blind. The school was located in Nashville, Tennessee where it was widely accepted by the locals. Guide dogs from the school were allowed to enter stores and restaurants without hesitation. Frank Morris and Buddy worked with Eustis to promote the school. 

By 1936, there were 250 guide dogs in the United States helping blind individuals with their daily lives. Buddy and Frank are believed to have walked over 50,000 miles together. Frank wanted everyone to see how amazing Buddy was and to know their story. He strived to have guide dogs for the blind widely accepted. 

By 1938, Buddy's health was declining but Frank asked her for one more trip. He wanted to fly on a commercial airline with the canine. They flew from Chicago to Newark together. In October 1938, Buddy passed away. She was buried on the grounds of The Seeing Eye School. At the time of Buddy's death, the school had successfully trained 350 guide dogs that served throughout the nation. After Buddy's death, Frank was assigned another seeing eye dog who he named, 'Buddy 2".  The second dog was also laid to rest beside Buddy.