AT YOUR SERVICE

These highly intelligent, expertly trained service dogs are changing the lives of their handlers. Meet the canines that are working with and supporting their human companions with incredible and inspiring dedication.

- ASHLEIGH ROMAN

Kim & Jessie

IN 2016, Kim Lewis suffered a neurological event that caused her to lose her sight. ‘It came on suddenly, then became progressively worse, leaving me functionally blind after just a few months,’ she says. ‘I was a GP, so it was difficult to adjust. I was an independent career woman and mother with my own practice. That suddenly changed.’

After being on the South African Guide Dogs Association’s waiting list for about 18 months, Kim was paired with her first guide dog, Jessie.

‘I realized that I needed assistance walking, so I got a white cane, but I have arthritis in my wrist, so it was painful. It also tends to isolate you. With Jessie, people started coming up to me, saying, “What a lovely dog!” It’s an awesome way to break the ice.’

Jessie is a two-and-a-half-year-old labrador that sits at Kim’s feet while we chat. ‘I’ve always been a dog person,’ says Kim. ‘But what I have with Jessie is different. We have to trust each other; I have to trust that she won’t lead me into traffic and she has to trust that I know where we’re going because she’s not a GPS,’ Kim says with a laugh.

Before Jessie came into her life, Kim found it difficult to navigate with confidence and independence, even though she knew her surroundings well. ‘I now get from place to place with a combination of Jessie’s excellent guidance and an app called Lazarillo.’