Humans with CNIB Guide Dogs: Louise & Jess

"When I first met Jess in June 2020, there was no other option but to feel absolute joy! She was so enthusiastic and extremely sweet. Jess is a small, black Labrador retriever and such a wiggly dog. Her little tail wags so hard that the back end of her wiggles with it. She is also incredibly affectionate. Every morning, Jess greets me with delight that another day is starting. She never fails to have me smiling within two minutes of getting out of bed. She just radiates joy! With a guide dog, I am able to walk to the same places as I could with a cane, but I can do it faster and easier. There aren’t many times where I say “OMG, I couldn’t have done this without my dog,” but there are countless times where I think, “OMG, how easy was that!”. Rather than hunt for a door when going to a new building, I just ask Jess to find it. Rather than explore a snowbank with my cane to find the way around, we just glide through the openings. The life-enhancing part isn’t just limited to me. Jess brings joy to my office building every day. People on my floor are so delighted to see her make her greeting rounds in the morning. We have been warmly welcomed pretty much everywhere we go. I recently moved to a new city and have been going into new businesses where I don’t know the layout. I have had people offer to bring me things, but when I ask them to show me how to find things independently with Jess, they have helped. To the vast majority of Canadians, I would like to thank you for the help you offer and for the curiosity you display. I hope you stay interested and take advantage of the opportunity to support guide dog training in Canada.” – Louise