Having a guide dog has given me back my dignity, my reason to live. I was ignored, had been attacked and was too frightened to leave the house. Then it's time to hang up the harness and retire. At the end of its working life the dog often stays on as a pet in the owner's family. Guide Dogs will find a loving home for the dog if need be and keeps looking after the dog financially for the rest of its life.
Retirement is a sad time for the visually impaired owner who has come to depend on and love the dog.
Guide Dogs is committed to every guide dog owner for life. Since an owner could have up to 6 or 7 dogs in their lifetime, another special four-legged friend will be waiting just around the corner to provide independence and mobility to their blind or partially sighted owner.