SMITHTOWN, New York -- For 75 years, The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind has provided guide dogs at no cost to those who are visually impaired or blind. Since 1946, the foundation has trained and placed guide/service dogs to people wanting to achieve increased independence and enhanced mobility. Once there is a match with an assistance dog, applicants become a part of the foundation's welcoming community, supported with empathetic and certified trainers, to a meticulously constructed curriculum. "We provide hope for people, we provide independence for people," said John Miller, President, and CEO of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. "When you look at the work that we do, the results are almost instantaneous. You can see the difference with the people we work with when they get their dogs, and that's really a hard feeling to replace or find elsewhere."