When Debbie, who is legally blind, started the painstaking process of matching with her first Seeing Eye Dog, she had two unusual requests. Her dog needed to be very comfortable with adventure – and in particular, snow!
Enter incredible Seeing Eye Dog, Zazu, who fit these requests perfectly, and has been absolutely life-changing for Debbie. And it’s a match only possible because of you.
‘I can’t see much out and about. I find moving around in social spaces and crowds the most difficult. I hadn’t realised it before but in the last few years, I’ve started to become anxious in those situations. I’ve tripped and hit the deck a couple of times which is a real shock. Those little things compound and really make you lose your confidence,’ she said.
‘Zazu is one in a million. She’s very, very clever and a lot of fun. Sometimes I think she's reading my mind, because she seems to know where I want to go before I've even told her.
‘I think she was destined to be with me, because she has a sense of adventure just like me!’
After a ‘warm-up’ trip to Mount Buller, Zazu recently accompanied Debbie on a six-month trip to Canada. Debbie is a super keen skier, using a guide, and has spent several winters in Canada as a volunteer instructor teaching people with disabilities to ski. Zazu took it all in her stride... the long plane trip, cold temperatures, guiding in the village, and even the toilet breaks in -27 degrees!
‘I'd like to say a huge thank you for making it possible for Zazu and I to be together. When I don't have her, it's so obvious that I need her. Life now moves really smoothly with her in my life – it’s not about obstacles!’
