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Humans with CNIB Guide Dogs: Sandy & Keller

Sandy and her guide dog Keller, walking along a sidewalk in a busy downtown area during a cold day.
It’s a bond that goes beyond just working together – she’s a dog that loves me and I love her more than anything," – Sandy.

“Times have changed a lot since I got my first guide dog in 1992. In the beginning, I had issues with restaurants trying to stop me from entering their establishments because I had a guide dog. Since then, I've had more positive interactions with businesses because the staff know about guide dogs and respect the rights of guide dog handlers. Thanks to the public awareness campaigns led by guide dog organizations, many businesses now understand it's against the law to discriminate against a guide dog team.  With Keller, I have never had a problem. Everyone has been so welcoming of us. Meeting Keller was like getting back in the saddle of independence. I had lost my previous dog five months before meeting Keller and I was really feeling the loss. Keller is a character I’ve never met before. She's an overachiever who's smart, outgoing and always up for a challenge. She gives me the confidence to go outside of my comfort zone. She gave me the independence and the security to visit my dad when he was in the hospital. Before meeting her, even something as simple as visiting the bank would have been a challenge for me. Every aspect of my life has been enhanced by Keller. It’s a bond that goes beyond just working together – she’s a dog that loves me and I love her more than anything.”