Prince is Lily’s “soul dog”, who finds his greatest joy in protecting her. “Prince is a completely different dog when his harness is off. He’s goofy, he’s loud, he runs around and grabs things, he loves attention. And then he gets his vest on, and he just switches all that off. He knows I’m his person and that’s all he focuses on,” Lily says.
Just six months after being matched with Prince, Lily developed a neurological condition that led to her using a wheelchair. She felt her whole world shift and was overwhelmed with uncertainty for her future. Thankfully, the Seeing Eye Dogs wheelchair program meant Prince could be re-trained and remain at her side.
“Seeing Eye Dogs funded the entirety of Prince’s wheelchair training, which meant the world to me. It was a very isolating time, especially because I had already experienced the independence of having Prince. It was amazing they could do this with public donations, and I felt so supported,” Lily explains.
Thanks to Prince’s resilience and love for work, he had no worries about being retrained, and the two completed the program in just four weeks.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere near as independent without Prince’s wheelchair training. I would be reliant on someone else 24/7, but with Prince, I can be independent and have more choice and control. My life would be very different without him, and I really couldn't have faced moving forward without his support,” Lily says.
With the Seeing Eye Dogs wheelchair program entirely community funded, Lily has a message of thanks for those who support the Petbarn Foundation Seeing Eye Dogs Appeal.
