Sharjah 24 – AFP: Britain's Guide Dogs charity says it's facing a shortage of trained animals, leaving blind and partially-sighted people facing waits of up to two years to get a new dog. The pandemic and Brexit have both played a part in the lower numbers, with the charity racing to train new dogs in what is a 22 week process that only 60 percent of animals pass.
Charles Bloch remembers well the cold and wet December day seven years ago when he met his guide dog Carlo and they went on their first walk.
"I could see the benefits straight away. And I thought this will change so much for me," Bloch, who is registered blind, said at a theatre in Coventry, central England, where he works.
Since then, the yellow Labrador-Golden Retriever cross has become "like my right-hand man", the 29-year-old said, describing his companion as "a bit cheeky" but "very much a hard worker".
Nine-year-old Carlo, however, is nearing the time to hang up his harness and go into retirement in the next couple of years.
Other guide dog owners retiring their dogs now are looking at a long wait for a replacement.
The Guide Dogs charity, the largest trainer of guide dogs in the UK, says a halt in puppy breeding and training during the pandemic has caused a "big backlog" of people waiting for a new animal.
"We couldn't train dogs. We couldn't train people. And then eventually, we were allowed to restart but in a very much phased, slow way," said Tony Murray, operations manager at the Guide Dogs centre in Leamington Spa, near Coventry.
He added that, as in other sectors, their staffing was affected following Brexit and certain roles, like guide dog trainers, are not easy to recruit for because what they do is "very unique".
Now the average wait for a guide dog is at least a year, "but probably more like 18 months and, in some cases, two years", he said.
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