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Tegan has just been matched with her new ‘cheerleader’
Coincidences seem to be a thing for Tegan.
Her grandmother, whom she never got to meet, had the same name as her new Guide Dog, Ethel.
Ethel was also born on the same date Tegan was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which affected her vision, 17 years ago.
Just finishing her intensive two-week training at Guide Dogs Victoria, this is the second dog Tegan has been matched with after her beloved Nimbee passed away.
She brought Ethel home for the first time on Valentine’s Day, also coincidentally the same day Tegan first met Nimbee 11 years ago.
Tegan at home with Ethel by her side.
Living in rural Victoria, the tight-knit community is very excited to meet Ethel.
For Tegan, the homecoming will mean getting back some normalcy. In between Guide Dogs, she has been using her white cane which is familiar, but has its drawbacks.
“Your’re constantly thinking, what’s on either side of me, you’re constantly scanning,” she says.
“You’re visually tired.
“The cane works opposite to a dog, it has to hit an object, where as the dog moves around.”
To make sure the adjustment goes as smoothly as possible, Tegan is participating in GDV’s new training program.
She is able to stay for 12 days in Guide Dog Victoria’s new purpose-built residential facility, which has in built accessibility features.
The new rooms with a balcony for easy dog toileting.
It’s a step up from her previous experience she admits. She remembers a ‘school camp vibe’ to the older style accommodation which had showers and toilets in an external area.
Now things are a bit more modern, with ensuites, living rooms and kitchens.
“The tactile aspects on the floor are really helpful,” she says.
“All the accessibility features are really good. I love how much light there is, you can control it too.”
The accessibility features include tactile bumps, ramps and comfortable handrails.
After the program on-site is finished, Tegan will be training with Ethel at home, alongside Guide Dogs Victoria trainers. It will prove invaluable as she maps out new routes to her favourite coffee shops or to the supermarket.
Having a Guide Dog has opened up Tegan’s world.
“They’re silent cheerleaders, they’ve always got your back,” she says.
Now her job is to create an equally strong bond with Ethel, her new cheerleader.
“The connection was there from the beginning,” she admits.
“She wanted to follow me when I went in my room to get a cardigan.”
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.
