WORCESTER, Mass. — The Worcester Regional Airport welcomed some special travelers Friday morning.

A group of puppies training to become guide dogs for the nonprofit 'Guiding Eyes for the Blind' stopped by. 

The group helps people with vision loss or impairment by providing a guide dog at no cost.

The puppies were able to get more familiar with crowds, security and all other aspects of a busy airport.

The regional puppy instructor said training starts when the puppies are born. 

"They kind of start getting exposure right away when they're born in our kennels, on our campus at our canine development center, they start training them right away” said regional puppy instructor, Lisa Bumbalo. “But then they go to puppy raisers between 8 and 10 weeks of age, typically. Those who are volunteers that invite these pups into their home in their lives for, let's say, 14 to 18 months. And then they go back to our training center for evaluation. And that's when they would start their formal harness training and learn how to guide." 

The organization trains mostly yellow and black Labs and some German Shepherds.

They said typically, more than 150 dogs graduate from the program each year.