Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:58 pm Post subject: Oooh just had a lovely letter.
As some people might know, this last year I have been writing for Guide Dogs. Usher's Diary was put on the Guide Dogs main website with photographs and updates as to how he was doing. Ushers Diary on Guide Dogs website
It was a real labour of love writing it and when it all ended in November when Usher went into training, it seemed quite strange.
However today I have had a letter and I thought fellow puppy walkers (and anyone who is interested ) might like to see it. I must admit I did this
Dear Sir/Madam,
After having read Janice Hope's puppy diary on the Guidedog Facebook
page, I feel obliged to write in on behalf of my father Raymond Palcic
who has recently been paired with an aptly named Sparky.
My father has Retina Pigmentosa which has gradually resulted in the loss
of his vision since childhood. However, Dad has not let the loss of his
eyesight prevent him from doing anything he wants to do, and is fiercely
independant. To the amazement of others, this superman has run
marathons, regularly attends step classes even boxercise and quite
frankly is an inspiration to us all. So when my father first mentioned
applying for a guide dog, we knew the day had finally come when Dad's
eyesight was totally failing. As those who would know, losing ones
eyesight is full of sacrifices that many of us take for granted, such as
driving, shopping, banking etc. So when Sparky came along he brought
along the gift of independance.
Now it has been said that Sparky's future as a guidedog was questionned
throughout his training. Sparky has a particular temperment i.e stubborn
and has ''excessive'' energy levels i.e hyper.
However, I can not think of a better partner for my father. Sparky is
the only one who can keep up with Dad, who himself is always revved up
to go full speed, and Sparky's impatient attitude clears away crowds
that my formally bolshy father would be proud of. The two are now
inseperable. Sparky is like Dad's own GPS and the two go everywhere
together. The dentist, the gym, supermarkets, the post office.
Everywhere. Sparky has offered my dad a lifetime of independance. From
the day he arrived he brought so much into not just dads life but the
whole family. Anyone who meets Sparky in fact is touched by this
beautiful dog. We secretly call him ''sunshine'' behind his back. There
is a belief that guide dogs are saints. Well i'm afraid Sparky is ,shall
we say, not. But he is the perfect dog for my father and if he had
failed his training my father's life would be different because of that.
The choosing of a dog for the owner's personality is so important and an
''imperfect'' dog might be right for the oddball blind person like my
father. Sparky has been so well trained, and takes his work very
seriously, but he's a big goofball at heart. Just like his owner. He
also makes us laugh every day.
Like the time when a callous car driver went through a large puddle
soaking both Sparky and owner. Sparky's facial expressions told their
own story that day, and he refused to resume duty until the car was well
out of sight. And how whenever he goes to the shopping centre, he takes
Dad straight to the toilet, even when dad doesn't need to go.
Every guide dog owner has their own story to tell of how these dogs
truly improve their owners lives.
But my main reason for writing is to reassure puppy trainer Janice Hope
who has generously given her time and her heart to train little Usher.
Then who had to give a little piece of her heart away when Usher left
for his next level of training. I just want to reassure her that little
piece of her heart becomes whole again when paired on the other side
with the owner.
The job you do is so valuable, but if you only knew of how you help
people in ways you couldn't possibly imagine. I hope it gives you all
the strength to keep going. To all the trainers and everyone involved in
the guide dogs, the gifts you give cannot be valued but on behalf of
everyone on the receiving end of a guide dog, we thankyou.
Yours sincerely,
Linda Palcic
Ray Palcic and
Sparky aka '' The Sunshine''
What a lovely letter, it must be nice to know just how much you are appreciated for the work you do in helping these pups through their first year and the joy they give to their new owners like Mr Palcic and Sparky.
I often wondered if it was true when they said they go to a lot of trouble to piar dogs and owners, it so obviously is with this pair, they sound made for each other
Janice, many thanks for sharing your letter. Its good to know that the new owner (and family) understand the wrench puppywalkers feel when the dog leaves us.
Heartening to learn that Sparky was by no means perfect, gives hope to those PWs whose pups were "challenging".
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) might like to see it. I must admit I did this 
