Leeds woman celebrates life-changing partnership with guide dog this International Guide Dog Day
A Leeds woman who began losing her sight as a teenager says her guide dog has given her back the confidence and independence to live life on her own terms.
Chloe, 27, from Otley, is marking International Guide Dog Day (Wednesday 30 April) by sharing how her partnership with guide dog Dezzie, who was trained by Guide Dogs in Leeds, has transformed her day-to-day life.
Chloe, a disability blogger, activist and Senior Content Designer, was born with cerebral palsy and began to lose her sight at the age of 18 while at university.
“I’d lost some of my peripheral vision, and my distance vision was starting to deteriorate,” she said. “After a lot of tests, I was registered as partially sighted.”
While at university, Chloe learnt to use a long cane, but alongside using a walking stick for her cerebral palsy, managing both wasn’t sustainable. After graduating, she found everyday tasks increasingly difficult.
“I couldn’t leave the house on my own. I lacked spontaneity, and it really affected my mental health,” she said. “I began to realise how much independence I had lost.”
After reaching out to Guide Dogs for support, Chloe was surprised to learn she met the criteria for a guide dog and was later matched with Dezzie, her first guide dog.
“When I first walked with Dezzie, I instantly fell in love with him,” she said. “He didn’t mind that we were walking a little slower, and I remember thinking: ‘I want this one please!’”
Now, Chloe says the partnership has brought a new sense of freedom and independence.
“I can meet people at the café instead of the train station. I can take myself to my yoga class and nip into the shop. I can meet colleagues for a drink after work and find my way home. All because of Dezzie.
“The freedom and spontaneity he brings to my life… I’ll never take that for granted.”
Chloe, who has been blogging about her lived experience since the age of 16, is passionate about sharing positive stories of disability and creating a sense of community.
“For me, it was important to show that I have a degree, a job, a house, and I’m getting married next year,” she said.
“I wanted to showcase a very normal life and fulfil the dreams that younger disabled people might have for their own lives.”
She now enjoys visiting galleries and museums, including accessible exhibitions, and has even travelled independently to speak at conferences — something she once thought would not be possible.
This International Guide Dog Day, Guide Dogs is celebrating partnerships like Chloe and Dezzie, and the life-changing impact they have for people with sight loss.
Paul Bush, Parnership Operations Manager at Guide Dogs in Leeds said: “Guide dogs support people with sight loss to live the life they choose, helping them build confidence and independence. Partnerships like Chloe and Dezzie’s show just how transformative that support can be.”
Guide Dogs relies on volunteers and donations to help train guide dogs across the UK. To find out more about how to support Guide Dogs, visit: guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help