- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: A blind poodle gets her own personal guide dog
- Date: 21st August 2002
- Summary: (L!3) BURLY, NEW FOREST, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 21, 2002) (REUTERS) PAN: CHERRY LEA LAWTON PREPARING TO TAKE HER POODLES MILLIE AND MEGAN (BLIND) FOR A WALK IN CAMPSITE BV CHERRY DRIVING OFF IN CAR (LINCENSE: 'P80DLE')) SV/GV CHERRY WALKING POODLES TO FOREST (2 SHOTS) CU CHERRY CLICKING MEGAN AND MILLIE TOGETHER ON LEASH SVs CHERRY STRAPPING MEGAN UP WITH YELLOW SIGN SAYI
- Embargoed: 5th September 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BURLEY, NEW FOREST, HAMPSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA47GQ9P6BATTGMJJK8XOGUT0GX
- Story Text: Poodle Megan is a lucky dog. Born blind, vets advised her owner to put her down as they didn't think she would be able to survive without sight. But Megan's sister Millie wouldn't have any of it and stepped in to save her life - as Megan's very own personal guidedog.
When it's time to take her poodles for a walk, Cherry Lea Lawton has to take special precautions. That's not because her dogs are fierce but because one of them is virtually helpless without the other.
Poodle Megan is blind and relies on her sister Millie to show her the way. The two of them have always had a special bond and Cherry is convinced that's because Millie knew that Megan needed her even when she was still a puppy: "Before we realized that Megan was blind ourselves, I really think that Millie did realize because we noticed there seemed to be a little bit of a bond between them and little things that Millie would always be around Megan", she says.
Cherry consulted a number of vets in the hope that they might be able to improve Megan's condition but instead was advised to put her down - a decision she wouldn't take.
As Millie started to look after Megan, Megan began to rely on her sister more and more, following her every step. Cherry fitted Millie with a bell so that Megan could hear where her sister was going. When Millie wasn't around, Megan even lost confidence and wouldn't go anywhere at all.
"Gradually it became obvious that we would keep them both and it would be good for Megan to have a guide dog and Millie was the perfect guide dog for Megan to have."
The pair of them have since become inseparable and Megan's confidence has grown quite a bit, even so much so that she sometimes reverses the roles, charging off and dragging Millie behind her. So far she's been lucky and hasn't been hurt - as for what Millie thinks about her sister playing guidedog, that can only be guessed.
"Yes sometimes she's been known to dash off and drag Millie along. It doesn't always work the way we want it but most of the time it does and the older they get the more confident Megan is getting."
Millie and Megan certainly are a handful and it doesn't take much guessing as to who is most exhausted after a long walk: "Me, definitely me", says Cherry.
So there's really only one thing to do - take the enthusiastic sisters to the local pub for a pint, at least there they calm down a bit and enjoy some stroking, while Cherry gets her strength back for the walk back to the campsite. Whilst the three of them are a familiar sight back home where they live, the residents of the New Forest haven't quite got used to them yet and prefer to check them out a bit... - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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