I built two wholesale businesses. When I retired at 72, I volunteered to raise service dogs to keep myself on a routine.

Jerry Burns says raising puppies gives his days structure after retirement. Courtesy of Jerry Burns Jerry Burns, 74, is a little more than a year into retirement. He started volunteering when he scaled back on work in his 60s. Raising a puppy has given his days structure and connected him to other volunteers. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jerry Burns, a puppy raiser with Guiding Eyes for the Blind. It has been edited for length and clarity. I ran my own businesses fo...