Meet Trudy and guide dog McLintock
Trudy and her black Lab McLintock sit on a park bench together.
Trudy Lewis experienced normal vision, corrected with glasses, until 2001 when her retinas began to detach. After seven surgeries, the scar tissue and lattice degeneration—small breaks or tears in the retina—have drastically reduced her usable sight. Vision loss accelerated her retirement from the medical field, and she ended her hobby of creating paintings and sculptures.
Trudy’s daughter encouraged her to get a guide dog. When Trudy learned that her sister knew a handler, she called the woman and arranged to meet. After learning more and seeing a working graduate of Southeastern Guide Dogs, Trudy applied for her own dog and learned orientation and mobility skills. Her efforts were rewarded with “love at first sight” when she met her first guide, an affectionate black Labrador named McLintock.
“I was anxious and excited, and I could not wait to come. I was a little nervous. He is my first dog and I didn’t know what to expect.”
“I’m loving every minute and he’s doing a great job,” Trudy shares. As her confidence grows, she’s making plans to take McLintock on long walks, go hiking near her home in Elon, North Carolina, maybe go on a boat, and while she’s at it, take up painting again. “He will guide me wherever I want to go!”
