A blind man whose beloved guide dog died a year-and-a-half ago is attempting to raise €46,500 to buy a replacement canine companion, after facing a series of obstacles including an extensive waiting list.

Andrew Mark George lost his guide dog Briar a year-and-a-half ago when she had a sudden heart attack and died in her devoted owner’s arms.

“She was nine-and-a-half years old. It was horrific. From that moment forward, you hit a very dark place. Your eyes have been taken away from you,” said George, who has lived in Mellieħa for six years.

The 42-year-old British physiotherapist applied to Guide Dogs UK for a replacement, but he no longer qualifies for one because he is now a Maltese resident.

He is on a waiting list with the Malta Guide Dog Foundation but could have to wait months or even years for a replacement. Delays for guide dogs have been reported internationally due to a pause in breeding and training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

George – a father of two young children – wants to regain the independence he lost with the death of Briar.

“I can’t really put into words how much your life changes for the better, because the guide dog becomes your eyes. You go from feeling like a blind person where you are dependent on everyone else, to being able to see through the dog’s eyes and gain independence,” he said.

At the age of three, George was diagnosed with an eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition that slowly destroys the retina, causing blindness.

“I remember going out with my friends playing football and when the sun starts to set, I’d say: ‘Sorry guys I can’t play any more as I can’t see the ball’. I was losing my night vision,” he recalls.

In his 20s, his sight worsened, and he was registered as legally blind. He approached UK Guide Dogs, a charity, that funded his guide dog Briar, a German Shepherd that entered his life in his early 30s and gave him the independence he needed.

In 2017, George moved to Malta with his five-year-old son, seven-year-old daughter and Briar.

“We are big fans of the sunshine, and my wife is an avid scuba diver. Round about the time of Brexit, we decided we did not want to live in a divided country, and we wanted to move into Europe,” he said.

The family packed its bags and moved to Malta where George works as a physiotherapist at his Mellieħa clinic.

I humbly request any financial help you are able to give

“It has been very difficult. My guides have been my wife, children and friends. To get to work in the morning, my friends collect me and walk me up, and then, at the end of the day, my clinic manager drives me home. Luckily, I have great friends and a very supportive family, so I have just coped as best as I can over the last one-and-a-half years,” he said.

George reached out to the International Guide Dogs Federation, and they gave him contacts for various guide dog schools across Europe.

“Immediately I felt some light in this dark situation and began contacting guide-dog training centres around the world. Amazingly, a training school in Norway informed me they may be able to help. However, since I am not a resident of Norway, I do not qualify for their charity and I need to pay to get a guide dog,” he said.

Professionally-trained guide dogs cost in the region of €46,400 due to the level of training they require.

It takes on average one-and-a-half years to train a guide dog. George will also need to attend a school in Norway for intense training with the dog to be able to use the animal safely and independently. The training involves learning how the dog behaves and the correct commands for mobility.

“I humbly request any financial help you are able to give, your assistance would be a beacon of hope for me and my family as it will allow me to regain my mobility and to continue making a positive impact in the lives of others,” George wrote in the GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign he set up to raise funds for a new guide dog. He has so far raised over €9,000.

“All funds raised will go to the guide-dog training school and we will provide receipts for the purchase and transport costs for myself and the dog from Norway to Malta. I will take photos of the whole adventure,” he said.

When contacted, the Malta Guide Dog Foundation explained that George is one of about 10 people on the waiting list for a guide dog. The waiting time for everyone varies, depending on whether they were matched with a guide dog at the European training school used by the foundation.

The foundation said that when a person applied for a guide dog, they were first asked to complete white-cane training. After that, their application was sent to the European school to be matched with a guide dog. Once a match was found, then the person went to the school for training. This could take months or years, depending on whether a match was found.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-george-a-dog