The blind face a shortage of guide dogs

AFP, Published on Sunday, July 02, 2023 at 1:40 pm.

Charles Bloch still remembers his first trip seven years ago with his guide dog Carlo. But her Labrador is retiring soon, and her visually impaired master knows the waiting list for a new companion is long.

“I saw the benefits immediately and I thought it was going to change a lot of things for me,” says Charles Bloch, 29, who works at a theater in Coventry, central England.

Carlo, a Labrador cross golden retriever, “a bit naughty” but “hard-working”, has become “like his right hand”.

But within two years, Carlo, 9, will hang up his leash and retire, which usually comes after 6 or 7 years of service. But now the wait to get a new partner is long.

The stoppage of breeding and training puppies during the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a “significant delay”, says Kit Dox, the UK’s largest guide dog trainer.

“The dogs couldn’t be trained, the people couldn’t be trained. Eventually we were allowed to restart, but very gradually and slowly,” says Tony Murray, chief operating officer of Guide Dogs in Leamington Spa, central England. .

Brexit has also affected recruitment. However, guide dog trainers do a “truly unique” job.

The wait for a guide dog is at least a year, “but probably 18 months, and in some cases two years,” he says.

– except –

Charles Bloch will have to use a white cane again if Carlo doesn’t change.

“With Carlo, I don’t have to worry too much. I tell him to turn left and he turns left”.

As they walk together, Carlo walks between the hurdles on his saddle, letting his master know when they approach or cross stairs.

Charles Bloch, who retains part of his vision, can get around with a cane, even if it limits him “a little more.” For those who can’t see at all, the loss of their guide dog can be “very manageable,” she underscores.

“They already feel cut off from the world. So not having a dog can make them feel even more isolated…”

The “ultimate goal” is to have a replacement dog when a guide dog retires, but “you can’t make a dog on demand,” says Tony Murray.

He says he is “very confident” in their ability to return to pre-pandemic levels, but it will take time.

It takes months to raise and train a guide dog.

From a few weeks old, puppies live with volunteers for socialization and basic training. Between 12 and 14 months, dogs begin their formal education, which lasts about 22 weeks.

The success rate is less than 60%, but if successful the dogs are matched with a handler.

– mental energy –

In the center of Leamington Spa, Joey Scott trains a young dog in an obstacle course made of plastic road blocks and traffic cones.

Dogs need “a lot of mental energy” to keep training, she explains.

But, “I’m happy to see how much of a difference the dogs I’ve trained make and the smiles on their faces”.

Charles Bloch recalls that at university, before having Carlo, he had a “great inhibition” with others and had difficulty meeting people.

“But with Carlo, this barrier disappeared in a few days, because everyone + wanted to say hello + and discuss.”

He also assures that it has improved his results. And during the graduation ceremony, the two went on stage together.