Puppies are on the Cats

A group of seven Labrador puppies, aged from eight weeks to 16 months, rode a CityCat for the first time on the Brisbane River.

Seeing Eye Dogs instructor Bev Brocklehurst said the event was one of the many socialisation activities the puppies experience at an early age, on their journey to becoming a fully trained Seeing Eye Dog.

“The blindness and low vision community are highly dependent on public transport including trains, buses, taxis, and in Brisbane, ferries. Through a program of positive reinforcement, we teach the dogs to travel with confidence and guide their handler safely,” said Ms Brocklehurst.

"The dogs learn how to get on and off the various modes of transport and find an empty seat for their owner.”

Brocklehurst said that having the puppies out and about also helped to remind the community that Seeing Eye Dogs can legally access public places and spaces, including public transport.

In Queensland, dogs have rights at all stages of their life and stiff penalties of up to $12,000 apply to individuals and up to $59,000 apply to businesses when these rights are violated.

“Seeing Eye Dogs have paws with purpose. They are legally entitled to go wherever their handler goes. Unfortunately, our handlers still experience discrimination when they are out and about. In some cases, a person has been denied access,” confirmed Ms Brocklehurst.

“Laws alone cannot stop discrimination. We need the community and businesses to act in accordance with the law. They need to keep their doors open to our working dogs.”

Vision Australia’s Seeing Eye Dogs puppy caring program is manned exclusively by volunteers, who under the guidance of a puppy development officer, teach basic obedience, house manners and eating and toileting on command. The puppies also visit places that their future owners are likely to go to, such as a workplace, a shopping centre or restaurant.

“Training each Seeing Eye Dog is a major investment both financially and time-wise. It costs over $50,000 and takes almost two years. Seeing Eye Dogs are extremely intelligent and make an incredible difference to a person who is blind or has low vision. With their dog by their side, our clients can remain mobile, independent and live the life they choose,” concluded Ms Brocklehurst.