Meet Jimmie and guide dog Cameron
Jimmie Mackery sits on a bus bench with his guide dog Cameron by his side. Jimmie is wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap. Cameron is a yellow Labrador Retriever.
Jimmie Mackery’s dad always told him, “Nothing is impossible. If you have an obstacle, work at it until you figure out how to get it done.” With vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa and profound hearing loss, Jimmie now overcomes obstacles with the help of Cameron, his fourth guide dog. This smart, lovable yellow Labrador has excellent working skills, something Jimmie appreciates as a hardworking man himself.
Jimmie and guide dog Cameron practice getting on and off the public bus with trainer Jonathan Bjaland.
When Jimmie was 22, he worked as a service manager for a copy company and had a few accidents in the company car. His boss sent him for an eye exam, and that’s when he realized his peripheral vision was deteriorating. But that never stopped Jimmie from exploring.
“I’d try anything,” he says. He sailed around the world as a certified bareboat skipper and earned certification as an underwater archaeologist diver. He enjoyed anything outdoors, including hunting, fishing, marksmanship, skiing, snowshoeing, woodworking, and raising horses and cattle on an east Texas ranch. He also once worked for a well-known ministry in Manhattan and spent 28 years in the city.
With Cameron by his side, Jimmie looks forward to being able to get out and go places—particularly Home Depot and Lowes—without having to call somebody. He and Cameron also plan to visit New York City again to reconnect with old friends.
