Betty the Black Lab Named for Betty White

Seeing Eye puppy litters are named alphabetically, so when the “B” rotation came up in October, officials decided to name a female puppy after actress and animal advocate Betty White in honor of her 90th birthday.

Other puppies have been named after celebrities and this isn’t the first “Betty” puppy since White has been a supporter of The Seeing Eye for many years, according to Seeing Eye spokeswoman Michelle Barlak.  

The newest Betty, is a black Labrador retriever born on Oct. 2, 2011. Since late December she has lived with a puppy-raising family in Howell. Her “mom” was an employee of The Seeing Eye who raises puppies in her retirement.

Jim Kutsch, Seeing Eye president and CEO, called Betty White on her birthday and the organization sent her a framed photo of Betty the Lab which she thought was a great birthday present.

In a press release, Kutsch said: “Betty’s love of animals has always extended to Seeing Eye dogs. Over the years, every time I’ve had the opportunity to meet with Betty personally, my own Seeing Eye dog was immediately drawn to her kind and gentle nature. I’m honored to call her my friend and wish her many more very happy birthdays.”

White and Kutsch serve together as trustees of another national non-profit.

Betty the Lab’s raisers know where her name came from, Barlak said. If she makes the cut as a Seeing Eye dog, her owner will probably know as well.

Barlak said 60 percent of dogs raised as Seeing Eye dogs do make it. That’s the highest success rate in the industry.

Occasionally a chronic medical condition keeps the dogs from working, Barlak said, since they don’t want to burden the owners with a medication regimen. Since The Seeing Eye breeds their own dogs, they tend to be very healthy, so that doesn’t occur often. More often, the dog turns out to be too easily distracted, Barlak said, but the same characteristics that make for an ineffective guide dog can make an excellent law enforcement dog and a great pet.

Not all service dog facilities breed their own, but The Seeing Eye occasionally trades with others that do to keep the gene pool diverse, Barlak said.

Betty White starred in a video about puppy raising that inspired hundreds of families to join the program, according to the press release.  In 1994, she was honored  with the Seeing Eye’s Buddy Award, an honor for the charity’s most dedicated volunteers and named for the first Seeing Eye dog, Morris Frank’s Buddy. She was also guest of honor at the 75th anniversary gala.

Her first advocacy for the Seeing Eye was in the 1970s when she recorded a radio PSA about guide dogs’ rights to ride in taxicabs.

Unfortunately, Barlak said, that message needs to be repeated today. She said some taxi drivers don’t like dogs and aren’t comfortable allowing them in their cabs, but Seeing Eye dogs are so well trained there is no reason to be afraid of them. And, the law mandates they be allowed in cabs.