Love at first bark: Getting a guide dog was life-changing for visually impaired Limerick woman

FOR Léan Kennedy and her guide dog, Higgins, it was love at first bark. When they met for the first time, Léan was delighted to be paired with a companion who walked as fast as she did.

Last April, her four-legged best friend turned nine. Next year, Higgins will be retiring. “I met him when he was 18 months, it was a matching visit. I would've met his guide dog instructor, and we did a walk with each other. It was to see if we had a good walking pace because I'm a fast walker. He's a fast walker too, so it worked well from that point of view,” she smiles.

In her home in Dooradoyle, when she sits down at the kitchen table, it only takes a second for Higgins to curl up at her feet.

I was quite comfortable with him and I could just tell that he was a lovely, gentle soul. I knew I could bond with him. After the matching visit, I went down to the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind in Cork to do three weeks of training with him.”

WATCH: Guide Dog Day: Pooches having a ball in Limerick park

Léan had perfect vision up until the age of 13, when her eyesight suddenly started to deteriorate. It took over 10 years for her to be diagnosed with retinal dystrophy, a genetic eye condition that leads to decreased vision over time.

"Overnight I went from being visually impaired to being legally blind. Shortly after, I reached out to Irish Guide Dogs and got support with them," she says. Now, she works as an advocacy and policy manager with the organisation, which provides assistance dogs and guide dogs to blind and visually impaired people, as well as to children with autism.

Léan used to walk with a long cane, but after an incident, she lost the confidence to be out and about by herself.

“One day I was coming home from work and I was walking through a city street, and a ladder was left out on the street. It was totally unattended and nobody warned me that I was about to approach it. The cane couldn't pick it up because it just swept in underneath it,” she recalls.

“I collided with the ladder to the point where it fell down on top of me. It was a really awful situation and I had to push it off myself. I was crying all the way back home. It was really distressing and that absolutely knocked my confidence to the core. It’s at that point that I thought about getting a guide dog.”

As she is “profoundly vision impaired,” Léan says having a guide dog is life changing. “It's really hard putting words on it, the significance that it makes. If I didn't have a guide dog, I would not have the independence and the confidence that I have.”

At the mention of his name, the furry friend looks up. “He’s always watching out for me, whether we’re on a walk or at home. If he sees something that I might walk into, he'll go run up and put himself in front of me. He's my constant companion, a really caring soul and my best friend.” 

On a daily basis, Higgins helps her find her way. “I go to the office and I need to get the bus and train to and from work. So, he has me get the taxi to the station. We get the train down, he supports me getting from the train station out to the centre, go do my daily job and on the way home. He's really my mobility aid, he helps me get about with my daily activities.”

When the harness is on, Higgins knows he is in working mode and remains focused. But at home, he is always keen to play. Speaking of Higgins’ relationship with her two-year-old daughter, Léan says: “She calls him ‘The Higgins’ and they just have their own little relationship now. He loves hide and seek. When my daughter and I play hide and seek, I call him, then he comes find us.”

Higgins also keeps an eye on Léan's daughter. “He’s not just like a guiding light from me, I feel like he does watch out for her as well. He would come running to me now if she was climbing onto a chair,” she says.

If there is one thing she would like people to know, it’s to not distract a guide dog while they’re working.

She explains: “I know they’re very cute and cuddly looking. When people see me doing my shopping or crossing a road, they do come up and start rubbing the dog, often without not telling me. And that's really disorientating because I'm not sure if my dog is stopping because there's a hazard in front of me. So it'd be good if people asked first if they want to rub the dog. Always ask and if the owner says, not today, please don't take it personally.”

According to Léan, the footpath is their safe place - something she wishes more people would realise.

"People could really help guide dog owners as myself by playing their part in keeping footpaths clear. We all encounter cars parked on the pavement, trees overhanging from the front garden, which is a scratching hazard for people's face. Also, leaving bins out is a trip hazard,” she stresses."

Apart from being the fastest Limerick walkers, what else do the pair have in common? “We’re both good-looking,” she laughs. “We both love country walks, getting out and about, and meeting people. When people come up to talk to me, I feel like Higgins sticks his head off and is like ‘Hello, I’m here too’. He wants to be part of it, so we’re both outgoing that way.”

As the pair pose for a few pictures, Higgins’ ears go up when the photographer calls out his name. After being such a good boy, he deserves a treat. “Oh, honest to God, carrots are his favourite treats. People wouldn’t think of giving their dogs a carrot, but he loves them,” smiles Léan. Two carrots, coming right up!

Irish Guide Dogs are always on the lookout for volunteers. If you want to help, you can contact them via guidedogs.ie or by email limerickbranch@guidedogs.ie.