These are the words dedicated to Guide Dog Ted by his handler Judy Hale.

Guide Dog Ted passed away in 2003 but it has taken Judy nearly 18 months to prepare for burying his ashes.

"It's hard for me to sum up how important Ted was to me," says Judy. "He gave me the confidence to get back into farming and to lead a normal life – not a small feat by any account!"

To try and show what a difference having a guide dog has made to her life, Judy is writing a book called "The Lights of My Life", due for publication in April 2006.

Judy lost her sight in a farm accident in 1987. One of the mares she was leading panicked, knocked her down and trod on her face. Judy suffered serious head injuries, completely lost one eye and her nose and the loss of blood damaged the optic nerve in her other eye, leaving her completely blind.

"I spent two and a half months in hospital recovering from the accident and having reconstructive surgery; I was in an induced coma for six weeks and lost parts of my memory – I'm still discovering things about my past 18 years later!"

Judy's accident happened 10 years and one day after the sudden death of her husband which left her with three young children to raise and a farm to run.

"Subconsciously I think my accident happened because I didn't know what to do with the rest of my life. I had never really accepted Barry's death; at the time I got on with things for the sake of the children but had never mourned him properly. My accident gave me two options – either to sit and wait to die or to get on with life.

"Ted became a light of my life."

While recovering in hospital coming to terms with her blindness and other injuries Judy thought her days of farming and pre-training race horses were behind her. But Ted changed all that.

"During our 12½ years together Ted became my most precious and trusted friend. He helped me to regain my independence and returned me to an active part in my farming life; we would shift cattle and sheep, Ted would guide me to my horse's paddocks then to the lunge pen where I could ride freely. Something which I never dreamt was possible after my accident.

"He then helped me settle into city life when we moved off the farm and to Cambridge – leading a fearful country person around, fearless of cars and noise."

Ten years after first meeting in 1991, Ted retired from work as a guide dog and Judy was matched with guide dog Ice in May 2001. Judy describes it as a traumatic but happy time.

"It was difficult to think of Ted retiring because we worked so well together and I trusted him to a fault. But at the same time I knew that Ted was ready to retire.

"A guide dog team is exactly that – a team. We need to trust each other to be able to work together safely and successfully. Ted will always hold a special place in my heart, but Ice is now the second light of my life."

Judy's memoirs, "The Lights of My Life", will detail her varied and often challenging life.

"There have been many lights in my life – my husband, children, friends, Ted and Ice – and while I may have had what some people consider a tough life I don't ever want people to feel sorry for me.

"I want my book to help others who may be going through a hard time. It's a happy story about how bad things in life can also bring happiness – like how losing my sight enabled me to work with Ted and Ice and to achieve independence."

Judy's relationship with her guide dogs epitomises the rapport between handler and guide dog and very clearly highlights the importance of guide dogs to more than 270 blind and vision-impaired New Zealanders.

"Guide dogs can open up the world for their handlers," says Joe Walker, National Manager Guide Dog Services.

"Nearly two years of training goes into each dog enabling them to navigate with confidence through busy and unfamiliar situations. Every day I see how important guide dogs are to our Members. It's inspirational.

"Our Members often tell us that the benefits of having a guide dog are immeasurable; guide dogs are much more than a mobility aid.

"For a team to work together successfully they need to trust each other.

"They become best friends enabling freedom, independence, confidence and companionship."

It costs $22,500 to breed, raise, train and match a guide dog before it graduates as part of a working team. Guide dogs are provided free of charge to the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind's (RNZFB) members. Guide Dog Services receives no government funding, all costs are covered by public donations, legacies and corporate sponsorship.

Photo: Judy with guide dog Ted (retired) and guide dog Ice (right).

We need dogs - not the dogs themselves, but the funds to continue providing this valuable service to blind, vision-impaired and deafblind New Zealanders.

The 2005 Guide Dog Appeal will be held from Friday 8 - Sunday 10 April.

Please give generously when you see our collectors out and about on the streets or donate $3 by texting GDOG to 883.

ENDS

For more information or a photograph please contact:
Jane Gower, Communications Co-ordinator, RNZFB
Ph: 09 355 6884 or 021 357 412
OR
Sarah Byers, Communications Co-ordinator, RNZFB
Ph: 09 355 6906 or 021 752 875