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David meets fourth Guide Dog Lenny
Like meeting anyone for the first time, there are a few nerves.
Same goes when meeting a potential Guide Dog.
You’re expected to be a team, put your trust in a dog and hope the dog trust you.
For David, even though he’s been matched with three Guide Dogs before, the nerves are apparent.
But, after a week with Lenny, his fourth and latest Guide Dog, there’s already a level of trust growing.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, which is expected with a new team,” he admits.
“But he’s been responsive, and the trainers are really helpful.
“I certainly love him, and he loves me.”
Lenny’s tail wags as David gives him a head pat.
David has been connected to Guide Dogs Victoria for more than three decades, after he was diagnosed with the degenerative eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa at 12.
He has had a full career, working in the disability sector and gardening and mowing on the side.
Visiting Guide Dogs after his previous Guide Dog Benita was retired comes with some bittersweet feelings.
“It’s not easy giving Benita up, but it’s for her good. She has some health issues,” he says.
“But at the end of the day she gets to be a dog.”
Thankfully Benita will be close by, as his boss is taking up caring for her. He will get to visit her regularly.
David has just completed 12 days of intensive training with Lenny alongside Guide Dogs Victoria’s trainers.
Clients are able to train and stay overnight on campus thanks to a newly opened residential facility which is purpose built with accessibility features for people who are blind or have low vision.
The hotel like rooms in the residential facility.
It’s something David admits is refreshing to see, as he regularly advises his local council on access and inclusion.
The accessibility features include tactile bumps, ramps and comfortable handrails.
Guide Dogs Victoria helps more than 230 working dogs in the community, and matched more than 80 dogs to Handlers in the past financial year.
The new facilities, which opened in late 2024, will help to increase that number and lower the waitlist for people to be matched with a highly-trained Guide Dog.
