No one can say that Inja is living the dog’s life.
She’s the black lab featured in the Globe last summer who was being raised by Village resident Penny Flaherty to eventually become a guide dog for the blind.
After her stint with Flaherty, Inja received a couple of months of formal training at a guide dog school in the Bay Area, then she landed a job in late November.
Inja now lives in Tucson, Arizona, in a big house with a big walled-in backyard, a big pool, and a hula hoop and other toys to play with.
But she’s a working dog – her job is to be a guide for Rob Moreno, a military veteran who lost his eyesight in an accident. Inja does have a playmate at home – Moreno’s wife, Christine, has her own guide dog, named Lagos.
Just two weeks into her new job, Inja proved her worth: Moreno emailed Flaherty to let her know that Inja had saved him from being run over by a car that was about to turn into them.
“She stopped, barked and pulled him back to safety,” Flaherty. “She did her job!”
Inja is the couple’s first female guide dog, and Flaherty says they’re excited to have a girl.
“They bought her a pink bed and handed out pink bubble gum cigars to friends that said, ‘It’s a girl!’”
Flaherty, meanwhile, has her hands full again with a new puppy. She got Moby, an 8-week-old blond lab, in September. She’ll have him until he’s about 15-18 months old, teaching him basic obedience, house manners and socialization in public.
That last point means that Flaherty will be taking Moby to the clubhouses, gyms, restaurants and grocery stores, to expose him to as many different places and situations as possible so that he gets used to them.
Flaherty reminds people that if they see her and Moby on the go, it’s OK to wave and say hello, but not to pet, hug, kiss or play with that irresistible bundle.
“I have to explain that if I am blind and you come and pet my dog, that takes his attention away from me and could put the blind person in a dangerous situation,” she says.
You might be thinking that it would be hard to give up a dog that’s been in your life for 18 months. But Flaherty sees it differently.
The Morenos “sent me a box of candy for Valentine’s Day with a note that said, ‘Happy Valentine’s Day, Mom. I love you. Inja.’” she said. “That’s all the thanks I need and knowing that she is in a loving home and will help Rob through his daily activities.”
For information about raising a puppy, a local chapter of the organization Guide Dogs for the Blind can help. Those who don’t want the full commitment of raising a puppy can be puppy sitters and choose when they want to give the raisers a break.
Contact the local chapter at gdblagunaniguelpuppyraisers.com or call 949-280-5464.
For more information, to volunteer or donate to Guide Dogs for the Blind, contact guidedogs.com or call 800-295-4050. Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California, is donor-supported, with no government funding.