BC & Alberta Guide Dogs Services

BC and Alberta Guide Dog Services is extremely proud to have graduated 88 guide dog-human teams. Here we share a sampling of the amazing stories of lives changed by guide dogs. Thank you to our volunteers, donors, and sponsors for making all of this possible! Click here to sign up for our free newslettter (print or email) to read more inspiring stories.

Bruce & Ozzy, 90th graduates

My name is Bruce and Ozzy is my first guide dog. My blindness was caused by a brain tumour that I had when I was 10. Since then, my vision has been progressively getting worse. I am completely blind out of one eye and I have “tunnel vision” out of the other which means that I can only see what is straight ahead, no peripheral vision at all. I can still make out some shapes, but I can’t always distinguish if the object in front of me is a building or a moving vehicle. In medical terms, perfect vision is 20/20 and my vision is 20/500.

I decided to apply to BC Guide Dogs because someone that I know has a guide dog and she told me all about the benefits. Even though I had been using a white cane for years and years, I was still having problems. I was falling off sidewalks or walking into things, and it came to a point where I just didn’t feel very secure outside anymore. 

I spent 3 weeks training with Henny, my instructor, and of course Ozzy. We practiced on familiar routes, going to certain stores, and I learned how to navigate different types of roads — ones with sidewalks and ones without. On the first day after graduation, I took the bus into town with Ozzy. I went to Cottonwood mall and then over to Canadian Tire — I’ve never been able to go out there by myself. Using only a white cane, I would have been too nervous to walk that far into town. I definitely feel more secure with my dog. 

Ozzy is doing very well and is really happy here in Chilliwack. He’s always at my feet wherever I go.

Having a guide dog is a major lifestyle change for the better. For me, it’s sort of like getting a driver’s license — I can go almost anywhere now and I can be more dependent on myself. It’s the simple things like being able to run errands on my own – I used to have to wait for my wife to get off work to help me. Being able to do these things really gives you a better sense of self and more confidence.

I’d like to express my appreciation to everyone who has been a part of this process. The transit workers in Chilliwack were so accommodating during my training and continue to be now that it is just Ozzy and me. People in the community have gone above and beyond to help me – one lady in town offered to stay on the bus with me until I reached my stop, even though it meant that she’d miss her stop and would have to ride the bus for the entire route again to get to her destination. I didn’t get all of these people’s names, and I don’t know Ozzy’s sponsors personally, but I really appreciate what they have done for me.

Donna & Eddy, 87th graduates

"I prayed for him...I lost my sight due to Retinitis Pigmentosa when I was 23. Within a few months of being blind I received my first guide dog, Xylo. I was amazed how walking independently had changed from a slow cautious struggle to a comfortable pace. Since my first guide, I have had the pleasure of working with two more dogs. Unfortunately in December, 2010, it became clearly evident that my guide dog at the time needed to retire early. I needed to prepare for the transition of working with a fourth dog. In March, 2011, I received a call from Bill Thornton telling me that he had dog which may be a good match for me. I had the pleasure of meeting two fine dogs shortly afterwards and I was in love with the one named Eddy at first meeting. I felt both nervous and thrilled with anticipation as I awaited the decision.

There are no words I can use to convey how I felt the day Corinna [Guide Dog Mobility Instructor] called me and told me that I would be receiving training in May with Eddy. Eddy is an energetic, strikingly handsome 2 year old black Labrador cross Golden Retriever. He has a confidence in his work which is undeniably the best I’ve ever seen in a guide. He responds quickly to verbal and physical instruction, he is prepared to work no matter the time of day and doesn’t back down from challenging routes or situations. 

Eddy readily fit in with my family which consists of myself, my husband Ron, my 12 year old son Daniel, my 10 year old daughter Raylene and our 4 year old house princess Prudy [a retired guide dog]. Off duty, Eddy enjoys playing tug, tumbling with the children and Prudy, following me around as I do things around the house or laying in his bed with one of many stuffies. His waggy tail lets us all know he loves us. My heart filled thanks goes out to Eddy’s puppy raisers, his boarding family, Corinna Adams his instructor and BC and Alberta Guide Dog Services. You have all contributed in making Eddy the prize guide he is. Officially Eddy and I became a team on June 2, 2011, and I look forward to many years with him at my side. With him I feel a secret comfort and private peace as we travel along both familiar and unfamiliar streets."

Crystal & Cambie, 77th graduates

Thank you so very much for Cambie. My life has changed tremendously for the better now that he is in it. I have the confidence to go to new places because of him.

I found out I was going blind July 2/91. With no cure or surgery I felt my life was shattered. As time went on I had to start using a white cane to help me get around. A few more years go by and my vision got so bad that by the winter of 2007 I became lost on the street in front of my house and had to call some one to come over to help me so I could get in the house. That was so scary.

One day a client came in to my work with a guide dog. We started to talk and I was finally able to find out more about guide dogs and how to start to get one. She told me about the BC / AB Guide Dog Services. She had received her dog from there and was so very happy with the results. After talking with her and going through what I had gone through, it was my time to see if I too could be so very lucky to receive a Guide Dog to help me get around in my daily life.

I’m not sure why it took me so long to make the call, I guess I was scared I might be told no and I’m not sure if I could take the disappointment of that. December 3, 2007 I made the call it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. On March 29, 2010 to April 16, 2010 Cambie, my beautiful new best friend, and I did our training. We had the best trainer that anyone could ask for. Jamie worked hard with us and she made it fun!

I’m so delighted to announce we are the 77th class to graduate. [Guide Dog Mobility Instructor] Jamie trained us so well that only a week after we graduated we had to go through a construction zone on our route to work and we did it with no problems. Cambie has made everything so much more enjoyable for me. Even a trip to the shopping mall, I can start to enjoy again. We can just whip in and out of the people and I’m not getting held up or knocked about as I did before without him. Cambie is the best most loyal heart throb a girl could ask for.

Special thanks to Cambie’s puppy raiser – Petra for helping to make him the special friend he is today - and his boarders, the Harris family. Thank you also to all Cambie’s puppy sponsors who help make this program possible. Thank you so very much!

Riley & Tundra, 80th graduates

I was born with only one eye, my left eye, in which I have a colaboma — my vision is 20/200, legally blind. I am also Deaf, no hearing whatsoever. I communicate using American Sign Language. The syndrome that I have is called Goldenhar syndrome. It also affects my neck and back.

I went to school in a small yellow school bus until age of 14. I have received Orientation and Mobility courses, using a white cane. It took a long time to gain confidence in myself but finally, in grade 10, I was able to use city transit using my white cane. I can now get to school independently, but it has several frustrating moments, as well as stressful and dangerous environmental obstacles.

After I received Tundra, a guide dog provided by BC& Alberta Guide Dog Services, my stress and frustrations have decreased by a lot - it almost seems they have vanished away. He responds to my commands by using sign language. I am so impressed by his abilities. Tundra guides me through many different situations such as construction zones and crazy downtown Calgary. He is an amazing guide dog and companion; I am looking forward to see what adventures we will have together.

Thank you so much to BC & Alberta Guide Dog Services for providing Tundra for me. A special thanks to Landra, his trainer, the puppy raisers, who taught him to be so lovable and to the sponsors who provided the funds to train Tundra and to provide me with an intervenor for my training.

An addendum from Tundra’s Instructor, Landra, on how he is specially suited to assist with Riley’s unique needs from a guide dog:
Tundra is a special dog – while working, he is all business. He has a ton of drive and initiative – the more interesting the environment, the harder he works. When it was time to learn sign language, Tundra picked it up really fast. He learned all his commands with voice first, then with the hand gesture or sign, then I withdrew my voice command. In this way, Tundra was able to learn the signs for forward, sit, stay, down, hup up, steady, left, right, back, no, good boy, enough, leave it, come, go “busy”, good job, and the incredibly important word of “find”. I use find to locate doors, steps, washrooms, counters, buses, curbs, straight line, the way out, car, etc.

Tundra was a wonderful dog to train. Everything came so easily to him that he truly was born to be a guide dog. He was capable of doing a lot and could handle great responsibilities. He needed someone who was really affectionate, had other pets in the house, had interesting routes or environments to go to, and would challenge him. Tundra found all of this in his new partner, Riley.

 Violet Pick, O.C.M., Guide Dog User

"My Friend"

I have a friend, she gave me sight,
And turned my darkness into light.

Guides y steps with human care,
Her eyes and life with me will share.

She taught me how blindness could be won,
Without the aid of light and sun.

And gave me confidence once more,
My lovely country to explore.

She asks so little, yet knows so much,
And will respond to my slightest touch.

God grant that we may always blend,
My faithful dog - my noble friend.
 

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