Inseparable partnership - Michelle and Seeing Eye Dog Mirla

Seeing Eye Dog Mirla and her handler, Michelle, have been doing since they were matched last year. In fact, Michelle says the pair have been ‘inseparable’. It’s a bond only made possible by people like you – thank you!

A long-time white cane user, Michelle said she noticed a deterioration in her vision that prompted her to apply for a Seeing Eye Dog. ‘I was more hesitant to leave the house and travel independently – I wasn’t feeling safe anymore,’ said Michelle.

But everything changed when Michelle met Mirla. ‘After my trial with Mirla, it just felt like the right fit for me, and having a Seeing Eye Dog was the next step in my vision journey.

‘Now I’m able to go out and navigate shopping centres, take public transport and walk around my neighbourhood, and that’s something I wasn't doing even as a cane user. I have this new level of safety that I didn’t feel as a cane user.

‘When you’re using a cane all of the responsibility is on you, but with Mirla I’m able to relax a little more because I know she’s there to help me. ‘She’s my constant companion, and all my grandkids love her. Mirla has enriched my life. She gives me such independence!’

What a wonderful gift you have given her!