From 4 to 10 August every year, we celebrate the incredible and heroic dogs helping people around the world. In honour of International Assistance Dog Week, Kate Stevenson speaks to Lindsey Moore about her partnership with her furry friend
It takes a certain type of pooch to become a guide dog. The extensive training each dog undergoes before earning their badge of honour takes around two years. But all that hard work is worth it.
Lindsey Moore was paired with her dog, Iris, two years ago after her first dog, Charlotte, passed away. It took her 12 years from being diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) to apply for her first assistance dog.
MISCONCEPTIONS
Retinitis Pigmentosa is one of the most common eye conditions, affecting one in 4,000 people in the UK. It impacts everyone differently, but causes deterioration of vision over time.
It took Lindsey a while to come to terms with her RP, so she put off applying for a guide dog because she wasn’t in the right headspace. “Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t get a guide dog sooner,” she admits. “Having Iris has opened up so many doors for me.”
More than 90% of people who own a guide dog are not completely blind. Lindsey has around 3% vision and says most people are surprised when they realise she’s visually impaired: “People think I’m a guide dog trainer because I don’t look blind,” reveals Lindsey. “It can be quite dangerous because they don’t realise they’re distracting a working guide dog.”
DISTRACTIONS
Distractions are one of the biggest obstacles Lindsey and Iris face, and she’s been put in harmful situations because of other people’s ignorance.
“I’m more than happy for people to say hello, but not when we’re trying to walk down the street,” stresses Lindsey. “The worst case I’ve ever had was when I was walking down a flight of stairs in an arena, and somebody was distracting Iris. That was very frightening.”
INDEPENDENCE
From struggling in social situations to being able to pop out to the deli or meet up with her singing group, Iris has transformed Lindsey’s life.
“Iris can understand me when the rest of the world can’t,” explains Lindsey. “Having your guide dog by your side is the best feeling in the world. She’s given me back the independence and freedom I thought I’d lost forever.”
LEARN MORE
Guide dogs are a type of assistance dog trained to assist people with vision loss or impairment. Labradors, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds are the most commonly used breeds because of their size, intelligence and temperament.
Any visually impaired person can apply for a guide dog, including children. To find out more, visit guidedogs.org.uk