A man who lost his vision in both eyes has credited his guide dog with changing his life, calling her his “best furry friend”.
Lee Roberts, 46, from Barnsley, contracted a bacterial infection in 2020 which turned to sepsis, causing sight loss “literally overnight”, he said.
After a three-year wait he was matched with labradoodle Isha, with Lee crediting their partnership for enabling him to join classes and learn new skills including ballroom dancing and the martial art jiu-jitsu.
“It’s life changing – the independence and how my confidence has grown working with Isha, you just can’t explain it, it’s unbelievable,” Lee said.
Although experiencing sight loss was initally “scary”, Lee felt as though the best way to adjust was to “face this head on and just get stuck in”.
“I kind of just took it on the chin and got on with it,” he explained.
According to Lee, he and three-year-old Isha are a “great fit” for one another.
They have a busy diary of activities planned each week, Lee added, and Isha is recognised and loved by those they meet on their regular routes.
