dollars. If students could not be found, then the agreement would be terminated, and the Lions Club would have to keep two of the dogs. They did find four students: Dr. Wheeler, Earl Morrey, William Joyce, and Paul Brown. After hearing about the cause, the Park Avenue Hotel in downtown Detroit offered free accommodations for the students learning to work with their dogs. Soon the club needed a name for their mounting project. They had dogs, a trainer, students, and a place to house these students, something they had not even imagined. To find a suitable name, a four-page report was sent out to every single member of Lions Clubs International. Over 500 names were sent back as suggestions. "Lions Leader" was the name selected and printed in the newspapers on December 14, 1938. In February 1939, all four Doberman Pinschers were placed with their new owners. The club wanted to expand their help beyond the actual club, and on April 4, 1939, the "Lion's Leader Dog Foundation" was initiated. To get the new organization off the ground, an actual facility was needed. A small farm in Rochester Hills, Michigan was selected. On the property were a house, a barn, and a small garage, which were all rented for fifty dollars a month. The name was changed to "Leader Dog League for the Blind" in 1940, and during the first year eighteen dogs were placed with blind students. Despite many hardships, the school stayed open and was helped tremendously by the number of blind veterans returning from World War II. The blind were requesting dogs for their new lives and businesses began to hire the blind, as it was discovered that many blind could carry on normal jobs. The United States government eventually promised federal funds to all guide dog schools and these schools began to pop up everywhere around the country. To date, Leader Dogs for the Blind has paired over 14,500 dogs with the visually impaired and continues to serve clients around the world. References 2. Gibbs, Margaret. Leader Dogs for the Blind. Faifax, VA: Denlinger's Publishers, 1982. External links Leader Dogs for the Blind website Guide dogs Education in Oakland County, Michigan Lions Clubs International