Meet Hope and guide dog Traveler
Hope Trentadue and guide dog Traveler
Indianapolis, Indiana
Hope stands with Traveler at her side in a guide dog harness.
Born in China with cataracts in both eyes, Hope Trentadue was 3 ½ years old before they were removed. “I was underdeveloped and the doctors in China waited to be sure I would live before they did the surgery,” Hope says. Just a few years after the surgery, Hope was adopted into a family in the United States. Her vision loss persisted, caused by bilateral aphakia, the absence of the lens in both eyes typically associated with the surgical removal of a cataract.
Traveler, a friendly yellow Lab, is this bubbly 18-year-old’s first guide dog and he’ll be with Hope for her senior year of high school and beyond. “I came to Southeastern Guide Dogs during spring break one year with my family to have the guide dog experience on the campus,” Hope said. “I loved that they were so accommodating.”
Hope never liked using a cane to navigate because she felt it isolated her. “When people see me with my cane, they walk around me and give me space—but I want to talk to people,” Hope says. “The cane separates me from society, but everybody wants to meet a dog. I want people to look at me as a person, not a blind person.” This handsome dog coupled with Hope’s outgoing personality will open doors to many new introductions!
Traveler is named by Scott and Robin Miller after the horse mascot at the University of Southern California where one of their dog-loving sons attends school. Scott’s mom, JeanAnn, also received one of our guide dogs, graduating with Sarge in 2016 with class #248.
