Jamie Carley is getting to know her new companion, Torres, a yellow Labrador retriever guide dog.
Carley returned last month from the Guide Dogs for the Blind school after spending three weeks of intensive training at the school in San Rafael, Calif., 20 miles north of San Francisco.
Carley recently returned to Emporia from Colorado, where she had lived for 28 years. Her son, John Ferguson, 21, moved here with her. Carley lost her vision due to retinitis pigmentosa.
According to www.blindness.org “Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a group of inherited eye diseases that affect the retina. Retinitis pigmentosa causes the degeneration of photoreceptor cells in the retina.”
In Carley’s case, she had usable vision growing up, but when she was 26, she had breast cancer and the chemotherapy took the rest of her vision overnight.
“You used to not hear about the disease years and years ago,” Carley said. “It’s pretty prominent now. There’s no cure but they’re doing a lot of research.”
Torres, who will be 2 years old in July, is Carley’s her fifth guide dog and the guide dogs are provided at no cost to the client, Carley said.
Torres was born and trained at the Guide Dogs school. He was raised by two puppy trainers. According to a press release, “Guide Dogs has produced more than 10,000 trained guides for graduates across the United State and Canada since 1942.” More than 2,000 people with vision loss have these dogs.
“Graduates of Guide Dogs harness the incredible power of the human-animal bond,” the press release stated. “These remarkable canines offer warm companionship, safe mobility and foster confidence and independence.”
The love between Carley and Torres was evident in Carley’s home Thursday afternoon. Torres relaxed near Carley’s feet, welcoming a pat every now and then as Carley spoke about him. At the Guide Dogs school, Carley and Torres were given the opportunity to get to know each other and then learned how to work together. Normal stay at the school is four weeks, but since Carley is a veteran at it, she and Torres only had to train for three weeks, she said. The day after arrival at the school, clients are given their dogs.
“It’s non-stop from then on,” Carley said.
The guide dogs and their partners learn to use stairs, elevators, overhead obstacles, crowded sidewalks and busy streets. Dogs are trained to avoid distractions and disobey commands to cross a street if traffic is approaching.
The relationship between Carley and Torres is going well.
“Torres has been really great,” Carley said. “It takes a good year or so to get the team functioning 100 percent but he’s got a good start at it. He’s pretty laid back. He’ll follow me around the house.”
Carley said she hasn’t had any problems around town with Torres.
“So far everybody around town has been really receptive,” Carley said.
Carley’s hobbies include country western dance, horseback riding, boating and water and snow skiing. While in Colorado she owned a tanning salon for 10 years.
“I’m hoping to get back to working part time,” she said.
For more information on Guide Dogs for the Blind, see www.guidedogs.com or call (800) 295-4050.