A stroke survivor in the UK has been unable to get a blind dog because of the state of the footpath that runs to and from her home.
According to the Dail Mail, 68-year-old Janice Parker went mostly blind when she had a stroke in 2019. She has only partial sight in her left eye with none in her right eye. The footpath is her only route to and front her home and she is said to have fallen four times in the last year.
While Ms. Parker says that a guide dog would help her much more than walking with a cane, she has been turned down in her request for a dog, with Guide Dogs UK allegedly telling her that the pavement was “extremely unsuitable for a guide dog”. They told Ms. Parker that damaged pavements are dangerous as guide dogs need room to work and cannot be at risk of being pushed out onto the road with the person who they are helping.
Ms. Parker told the Daily Mail that she was very disappointed about it, and that she had asked the council to do what is needed to sort out the situation.
“The path is terrible, it’s extremely uneven. My cane gets stuck in the ridges and the growth. A guide dog would help me so much. My eyesight is atrocious. Sometimes I walk into things on my right side and I find steps really difficult.”
The Council are now said that they do not own the pavement in question but that it is owned by a private landowner. They intend to force the owner to clean it up as soon as possible and it is thought that Ms. Parker will be able to reapply for a guide dog when this has been done.
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