Today is International Guide Dog Day, a significant day to honor the invaluable contributions of these canine companions. Locally, Freedom Guide Dogs is celebrating the occasion.
she s my best friend, my constant companion, my means of independence, of getting about wherever i want to go, whenever i want to go, and living the life i want to lead. this is the freedom guide dogs give their blind and visually impaired partners. rio is ella caulfield s first guide. if they didn t have each other, ella says she wouldn t be able to study maths at oxford. she gives me that independence that i do need, and i crave, that i need to live the life i want to lead. she s good for a cuddle at the end of an evening if i ve had a bad day. and she s an excellent guide, she s very rarely led me astray. ella started to lose her sight at four years old. when she was 15, she received some bad news. i think because it happened gradually, it wasn t like an immediate shock of, you re not going to see again. i was told i had a retina detachment and i definitely broke down then. i was with my dad. i remember him hugging me and the nurses kind of bringing me
since his last one sammy retired six months ago. he s facing a two year wait for a replacement, but with more volunteers to train guide dogs, that waiting time could be reduced, as sean reports. i can only see light if i look directly into the sun or into a light bulb. i couldn t imagine my life without rio. she s so important. she s my best friend, my constant companion, my means of independence. this is the freedom guide dogs give their blind and visually impaired partners. ella started to lose her sight at four years old. when she was 15, she received some bad news. i think because it happened gradually, it wasn t like an immediate shock of, you re not going to see again. i was told i had a retinal detachment and i definitely broke down then. i was with my dad. i can remember him hugging me and the nurses kind of bringing me a cup of water, just kind of comforting me. and then i got booked in for surgery the next day.
clear shot of the prime minister at the moment, the greek prime minister kyriakos mitsotakis visiting the scene of this terrible crash in northern greece. the sight loss charity guide dogs says it s had a record number of people volunteering to raise puppies after the bbc highlighted a national shortage of dogs. it s all thanks to our correspondent sean dilley, who has been without a guide dog since his previous companion sammy retired six months ago he s now facing a two year wait but it s hoped that more volunteers looking after training dogs can reduce that wait, as sean reports. i couldn t imagine my life without rio. she s so important. she s my best friend, my constant companion, my means of independence, of getting about wherever i want to go, whenever i want to go, and living the life i want to lead. this is the freedom guide dogs give their blind and visually impaired partners. rio is ella caulfield s first guide. if they didn t have each other, ella says she wouldn t be a
thousand people who have - a difference. more than four net i thousand people who have applied a difference. more than four net - thousand people who have applied to volunteers since the last walk. thank you so much to everyone who applied thank you so much to everyone who applied. since coverage, we have seen applied. since coverage, we have seen a applied. since coverage, we have seen a peak in applications and so, injanuary seen a peak in applications and so, injanuary alone, we ve seen seen a peak in applications and so, in january alone, we ve seen almost 3000 in january alone, we ve seen almost 3000. ., , , 3000. the new volunteers will help eo - le like 3000. the new volunteers will help people like me 3000. the new volunteers will help people like me and 3000. the new volunteers will help people like me and ella. 3000. the new volunteers will help people like me and ella. she - 3000. the new volunteers will help people like me and ella. she givesl people like me