translate

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

ME AND MY GUIDE DOG


Thank you all so much for sharing the blog I wrote yesterday, about guide dogs. It’s gone crazy with 295 views. You have no idea just how much your support means! Hub and I watched it and oh boy, we both cried our eyes out and I’m not too sure that was a good thing, although it’s great to show what real life is like, I’m not convinced that the program will have a second viewing as its on again in the UK next Tuesday evening. Most people I have spoken to said they started to watch it and couldn’t continue.

 

Well, after showing a little boy with autism in Canada who wouldn’t go out of the house without so much encouragement, then when after six months of trying, they got him out; he wouldn’t stop screaming and wouldn’t come in. He never laughed he was four when his parents heard him laughing for the first time.

 

How we take such small things for granted with our children? A failed guide dog from the UK went out to Canada to be a buddy dog for this little boy. What a difference he has made for the child more so for the parents who sounded so proud of their Son and more so for their new pal in their four legged friend. We saw the little boy with his dog and he loves it so much. A child who couldn’t show emotion beforehand. Parents who heard their little boy laugh for the first time when he met his new dog. So when our dogs don’t make it as guide dogs, they are able to still continue doing good work for other disabilities. And not only in the UK.

 

There was an old man whose wife had died last year and he was lonely after taking care of her for five years of her life before she died, he still had a lot of care and love in him, so he decided to be a puppy parent or puppy walker. Sadly the dog became a little naughty and a bit boisterous for the gentleman. So the dog had to be rehomed and started to work a lot better, we find out next week what happened to the dog and will it meet the expectations for guide dogs? But the old man closed the door after the lady from guide dogs took the puppy, away, well, I was gone by this stage to a very sad place in my heart, and next it showed the old man sitting on his own with a cup of tea and the narrator on our TV said he was looking down on the floor at the dogs favourite toy, a little monkey. Oh the lump in my throat got bigger.

 

Then the worst part, a couple of men were on, they were both sighted. It was so obvious how much in love they were. One of the guys went blind due to diabetes. It was sudden.

 

He got a guide dog and after having her for seven years how she changed his life for the better, it was said that the dog had cancer. So we went through the pain of saying goodbye to that dog even to the stage of going to the vet to get the poor thing put to sleep.

 

Well, that brought back awful memories of when we had to say bye bye to our Black beauty last year. How my dog my first guide dog and how his dog never complained. How silent their pain was. How they helped us an yet we were unable to help them. Oh having the narrator made it good that we missed nothing, but so sad that we knew of all what was going on down to the part when in the vets, the lad was on the blanket with his dog cuddling it before she went for her rainbow sleep.

 

Well, I just burst out crying, I had managed my silent tears before then, as had Hub but at that point? No, I burst.

 

It was good that it showed that being a puppy parent or walker wasn’t all roses and it was hard work, as one lady had her rug chewed up, but too sad too much too early I think, half the people will watch next week and that is not what we want.  We need as much support and awareness as possible. I hope that people will watch next week, and guide dogs will receive the financial help they so badly need as it’s not just the UK who is receiving help, but as it was shown on the TV last night, its America and Canada too. I’m sure other countries as well.

 

In a group I’m in called Guide dogs Coffee lounge, a lovely lady said after watching that show, she was going to sponsor a puppy. Wow, amazing. Some of the guide dogs also who failed for whatever reason, went on to be assistant dogs. These dogs pick things up that the person who can see very well, but can’t walk or bend for whatever reason, the dogs will also put things in the washing machine and so on. So even when our dogs fail for our eyes, they pass on other wonderful tributes to life. And lives.

 

I know last year’s program is available to watch online if you are not in the UK. Last years wasn’t half as sad.

 

Once again, thank you to all who shared as for sure there will be at least one person in the world who will benefit from your kindness and the time you took to share my blog.  And once again, please may I repeat that it’s not always money that helps guide dogs, but it’s your time. It is so valuable. How many emails and messages I have received saying they had never even heard of “MY Guide” Again, call your local team of guide dogs and ask of the benefits of a My Guide volunteer, or ask if you could be one? We need you.

 

Thank you all. X

No comments: