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Nemoy Malcolm is kneeling next to his Golden Retriever Seeing Eye Dog, Benji, on a sunny day. He is wearing sunglasses and a light green shirt, while smiling at the camera. Benji sits calmly beside him looking at the camera, wearing a teal harness. They are surrounded by green plants and bright yellow flowers.
Nemoy and his Seeing Eye Dog Benji

“For me, a Seeing Eye Dog allows for freedom and independent movement through all the environments I go through. Without a Seeing Eye Dog, I feel as if I would not be able to freely move about in my community.”

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Nemoy was born without vision in his left eye due to a condition called toxoplasmosis. At age 18, he lost the sight in his right eye as well, following a retinal detachment. He moved to Australia from the United States in 2009 and has been connected to Vision Australia ever since. Now a proud father of two, Nemoy currently serves as the Emotional and Social Support Programs Lead at Vision Australia and has worked within the organisation for 12 years.

Nemoy decided to apply for a Seeing Eye Dog following the death of his previous dog guide, Rizzo, in 2023. Not long after, Nemoy met his first Seeing Eye Dog, Benji. “The journey to getting Benji was really hands-on. The Seeing Eye Dogs team were incredible in supporting me, they reached out and walked with me through the process, kept me informed every step of the way, supported me with the paperwork and were just as excited as I was,” Nemoy explains.  

Benji is described as a classic Golden Retriever, full of love and energy. “He doesn’t hesitate to state his opinion using body language. If he doesn’t want to move forward he won’t. He loves praise in the form of pats, compliments and treats. He really is a male diva. He desires to please and be pleased,” Nemoy says.  

Thanks to Benji, Nemoy is able to take on life and embrace choice with a companion by his side. Benji has not only played a significant role in Nemoy’s independence, but has also served as a great way for Nemoy to connect with his community. “Benji is essentially the ambassador between me and the public. He never fails to turn an eye and people use him as a conversation starter with me,” Nemoy outlines.  

“Without Benji, I probably wouldn't interact with the community in the way that I do, and he provides me with the choice of movement. To me, choice is ultimately what leads to independence. Knowing all your choices and choosing the best one for you is important. Thanks to Benji, I can choose to walk, take an Uber or taxi, take a bus, and having Benji with me increases the number of choices that I have,” Nemoy says.

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Nemoy has a message of gratitude for the Petbarn staff:

“Of all the shops I frequent, I want to thank Petbarn for treating me the same way they treat every other individual that comes in store. They don’t interact with Benji, they don’t praise over him. I’m able to just go in and seek their support at a level that I feel comfortable with, and that’s not distracting to my Seeing Eye Dog. And that to me is true equity. Just being treated like any other individual who enters that shop and I’m truly grateful for that.”

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