Rosie, our sponsored trainee Guide Dog for the Blind has graduated with flying colours and has now joined her new owner, Hetal.
Rosie is now helping Hetal re-discover her independence and Hetal is so grateful to have been partnered with her. Hetal was born 16 weeks premature with no sight at all due to Retinopathy of Prematurity. Rosie is her third guide dog. She was partnered with her first guide dog, Nessie, in 2009 and she retired in 2017. Then Hetal was partnered with Lilly B in 2018 but sadly Lilly B was withdrawn after 6 months as guiding was not quite right for her.
Hetal says: "As a busy mum with sight loss, the pandemic stole my independence. I was using a white cane to get around and I relied on my routes and routines being familiar. But the pandemic caused all sorts of changes, such as one-way arrows in shops, new barriers, and social distancing. This meant that small tasks like popping to the shop to buy food for my family became very difficult. Partnership training with Rosie went really well. It was a calm and comfortable process and I enjoyed building a mutual feeling of trust between myself and Rosie. We're a team, and I love that.
"Rosie absolutely loves getting on trains and buses, which is great as I spend a lot of time in Central London. She especially enjoys doing the school run with me every morning - with 500 children plus parents, there's a lot of excitement! She comes to extra-curricular activities too. My son plays football and my daughter does gymnastics, and there is always a children's birthday party to attend.
"My favourite times are spent relaxing at home with Rosie. I like to lie on the floor with her, either with a good book or some nice music. I host my own podcast and when I'm editing, Rosie will often come and settle herself on my feet. It's lovely how affectionate she is and how easily she has become a part of our family.
"I would like to say a huge thank you for supporting Rosie's journey and for making our partnership possible. I hope you've enjoyed watching her grow into the life-changing guide dog that she is today."
Everyone at Alasdair Morrison & Partners has loved sponsoring Rosie and seeing her grow from a rambunctious puppy into the confident Guide Dog that she is today. We hope Rosie and Hetal have many happy years together.
Keep an eye out for a 'pupdate' on our next sponsored Guide Dog - Dexter!
