Cathy and Meg

Meet Graduate Cathy

Graduate Team: Catherine and Meg
About the team: Meg, a female black Lab, is Cathy’s 1st guide dog
Location: Newburgh, Maine
Training: September 2023 On-Campus

Cathy is retired from a career in banking. She and her husband live in Newburgh, Maine where they live an active life, including regular travel around the state and visiting her grandchildren and great-grandchildren nearby. She enjoys being part of her knitting group, “Knitlit”. The project she’s currently working on is one full of love, an elephant sweater for her great-grandson. She also enjoys cooking, baking, and going on frequent walks with Meg.

How would you describe your guide dog?  “She’s my buddy. Oh, she’s the love of my life! She looks at me with those big, black eyes and I just want to melt. She hopes she’ll get a treat if she looks at me long enough. We had taken her to my son’s, and he has a poodle mix with one of those donut comfort pillow beds. When Meg found it, she curled herself up into it and made herself into the tiniest thing so she could fit. We ordered her one right away! She curls right up and sleeps on it every night.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes?  “My daughter-in-law had been encouraging me to get a guide dog. She told me a guide dog would give me so much free time and more empowerment for myself, instead of relying on my husband all the time. I did my own research, and my daughter-in-law did too. Guiding Eyes is where I chose and I’m so glad I did. I loved the experience that I had. Guiding Eyes was a reasonable distance from me, so I didn’t have to go a long way, and I had heard good things about the school.”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life?  “Oh, she’s given me so much freedom to go places and do things on my own. I can’t even describe it! To go to a restaurant and have her take me to a table -that’s something I would never do. I go into a store to shop and she’s right there with me. Everything I do, I take her with me. Everybody loves her!”

Were there any training highlights? “We were in one of those elevators with glass walls all around it. When we got on the elevator, she wasn’t sure where she was supposed to go. She just kept turning around and around and we were laughing so hard! Everything looked the same! The school is incredible. My trainer, Lori, was great. She was just so good, I wanted to take her home with me! I learned so much that I didn’t realize was going to be needed. The first time meeting Meg was intense; she came right up to me as if I’d known her all her life. We meshed beautifully. I just love her to death. If I ever had the chance, I would go back. Getting Meg has been an experience I will relish until the day I die.”

Meet Guide Dog Meg

DOB:  5/6/2021
Litter ID: 5M21
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador
Gender: Female
Brood: Dior
Stud: Yarmouth
Littermates: Mimi, Mary, Margaret, Major, Mabel,
Region:  Montgomery
Regional Puppy Instructor: Jeanyne Gembarski
Puppy Raiser:  The Nishimura Family, Bobbie & Jim Havel
Facebook: Montgomery Puppy Raisers

Photos of the Team…