Members of Sequim Puppy Raisers with Guide Dogs for the Blind and Clallam Transit staff have once again partnered to bring puppies some new experiences on public transportation.

On May 11, four puppies and their trainers met at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Sequim and took turns riding up and down on a Clallam Connect Paratransit bus lift, boarding and riding the bus, and switching handlers.

Handlers used plenty of treats and positive reinforcement to help ease the dogs’ anxiety and the group traveled to Sequim Walmart to practice the same experiences.

Participating Sequim area puppies — named Moon, Adela, Sabrina and Mattie — are each 6-8 months old.

Raisers receive puppies — dogs about 8- to 10-weeks of age — from California, and then train them for about a year before sending them for further training at the Guide Dogs for the Blind facility in Boring, Ore.

If the dogs pass the four-month, eight-phase program, they can be matched with a visually impaired partner on-site.

For more about the program, see guidedogs.com/puppy, and facebook.com/GDBSequimpuppyraisers.

Also, contact Puppy Raiser’s organizer Deb Cox at guidedogdeb98382@gmail.com.

Clallam Connect driver Scott Estep helps Deb Cox and Sabrina the dog go up the bus lift as part of training on May 11 with the Sequim Puppy Raisers with Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Photos courtesy Clallam Transit Members of the Sequim Puppy Raisers with Guide Dogs for the Blind helped with training four puppies, from left, Mattie, Sabrina, Adele, and Moon on May 11 become more familiar with using public transportation.