Leader Dogs a Finalist for New Toyota Prius: Vote Today

 has been chosen as a finalist in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good Program.

The prize? A new Toyota Prius that representatives of the Rochester Hills-based Leader Dogs say would help them train their dogs to recognize quiet cars.

"Stopping a person who is blind from crossing a street when a car is coming is one of the most important safety benefits provided by a Leader Dog," reads a statement on the organization's contest page.

"To do this, a Leader Dog looks and listens to identify approaching vehicles. With the introduction of noiseless electric vehicles like the Toyota Prius, we need to teach our dogs to be extra diligent when looking and to learn that not all cars make noise."

Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program is awarding 100 vehicles to 100 nonprofits over the course of 100 days based on votes from the public. A total of 500 nonprofits were selected from more than 4,000 applications nationwide.

How to vote

Starting at 10 a.m. Friday, you must log into Facebook and use the 100 Cars for Good app, located at www.100carsforgood.com. Follow the on-screen instructions to vote for Leader Dogs for the Blind. 

Voting ends at 11:59 p.m.

Voting is limited to one vote per person, per daily voting period, regardless of how many email addresses or Facebook accounts you may have. 

Good luck, Leader Dogs. Spread the word!