MOUNT KISCO, NY  Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects (KG&D), PC, a full-service Mount Kisco, New York, -based architecture firm, is proud to announce the unveiling of Guiding Eyes for the Blind's newly renovated and expanded Canine Development Center in Patterson, New York. KG&D collaborated with Guiding Eyes to design the new and renovated 30,000-square-foot facility, with the goal of creating a Development Center that could better facilitate successful and efficient training of dogs for future service.

The facility, known throughout the international guide dog field for its groundbreaking advances in canine breeding and puppy training, required a major transformation in order to support Guiding Eyes' proprietary initiative entitled STEP - Successive Training and Enrichment Program. The STEP program allows puppies to socialize at earlier stages, which better prepares them for formal guide dog training.

Built using green construction initiatives, the Canine Development Center's 30-acre campus includes a puppy training pavilion, new male and female kennels, open living areas, outdoor areas for off-leash exercise and a new veterinary hospital with state of the art equipment.  The Center is utilized for breeding, birthing, socializing and screening dogs. The expansion nearly doubled the size of the original facilities, providing more teaching space for staff and volunteers to work together and have additional opportunities for orientation and training sessions.

KG&D and Guiding Eyes extensively tested materials and finishes, and toured other animal facilities within the region to become educated on both successful and failed practices to order to develop the best product for the dogs and handlers. The overall design process began in 2008 with three phases of renovation. The first phase was completed in 2010 with the expansion and reconfiguration of the Whelping Kennels. The following stages were completed between 2012 and 2015 with the renovation of the new lobby, male/female dog kennel and pup programs.