Guide Dogs for the Blind celebrates dogs and volunteers at annual California Fun Day

Hundreds of puppies-in-training and volunteer puppy raisers were celebrated on Saturday at the annual Guide Dogs for the Blind California Fun Day in San Rafael.

Because of the pandemic, this is the first time in two years the event was held in-person. In honor of the return, organizers chose a "Back to the Future" theme. Dogs came dressed for the occasion, pictures showed some dogs dressed up in brightly colored tutus and some had neon bows on.

At the event, 10 puppies met their raisers for the first time. Volunteer puppy raisers receive a pup when they are approximately eight weeks old, teach them good manners, and provide socialization experiences for about the first year and a half of the pups' lives. Puppies are then returned to Guide Dogs For The Blind for formal guide work training.

The event featured Doglorean Races where pups went through a maze of distractions, and a Raiders of the Lost Bark-themed K9 Buddy booth, aimed at educating blind or visually impaired youth about the guide dog lifestyle.