Chely\u2019s guide dog Sasha has become scared after experiencing aggressive behaviour from unrestrained dogs. On three separate occasions, unrestrained dogs have leapt at Sasha while she was in her harness.<\/p>\n
Chely said guide dogs cannot defend themselves or get away when in the harness. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing she can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The labrador is now showing signs of anxiety and freezing or refusing to pass other dogs, and making unsafe decisions.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just become so anxious while in harness. Every time we come near a dog when she\u2019s in harness, she\u2019s just becoming so anxious she wants to move me away. She\u2019s tried moving me into the road to make space for a dog, which is obviously unsafe for both of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s horrible to see her confidence being derailed by something that is so preventable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha is being assessed \u2013 where she won\u2019t be in a harness and will not be able to be worked \u2013 but may need intensive training to solve the problem, and Chely has been forced to rely on her cane, which has cut her independence \u201cin half\u201d and left her feeling isolated.<\/p>\n
\u201cSasha is my eyes, she\u2019s everything to me, she\u2019s my constant companion and I just love her to bits.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe gets me out in the community, she\u2019s how I get to work every day, she\u2019s integral to the life I live as an independent person… and it\u2019s going to be horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chely had a simple message to other dog owners.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease consider putting your dog on a short leash when in public, especially on roads, and if you see a guide dog or other service dog, consider moving around and away and giving them space to work. Don\u2019t allow your dog to distract the dog, because the guide dogs are our eyes and if they are distracted, they are not looking after their handler.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blind Low Vision NZ chief executive Andrea Midgen told Checkpoint recent attacks had resulted in injuries that required medical attention for dogs and their handlers.<\/p>\n
She said these incidents had an impact on the safety of the community and the dogs themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a double-whammy effect \u2013 the guide dogs can be so traumatised that they won\u2019t work again, so that\u2019s a huge investment to get the guide dog up to a level where they can work with a handler, and sometimes we can\u2019t recover them, so they need to be retired.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then there is the impact on the person, and that is a huge loss of confidence to go out into the community and do the things they need to be doing every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cost of training and investing in a guide dog is about $175,000 through its life, Midgen said.<\/p>\n
But she said the loss of that investment did not compare to the loss of independence to those who rely on guide dogs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re basically stuck in their home.\u201d<\/p>\n