I've shed the pounds and got my life back thanks to guide dog

A Paisley man has told how his guide dog “saved his life” after he suddenly lost his sight.

- RUTH SUTER

Carlos Rodriguez, 47, became depressed and suicidal after losing almost all of his vision following a sudden retinal tear.

The fallout from the injury led to him losing his job at a high street bank, the breakdown of his marriage and battling with poor mental health.

At the height of his depression, he tipped the scales at 27 stone but, with the help of his beloved guide dog Marine, he has shed a whopping 10st.

Carlos, speaking in our sister title, the Daily Record, said: “I could still see about 25 per cent out of my right eye until I had a retinal tear. Once that happened, my ability to adapt to the environment, my work, my home life - everything - was severely impacted.”

Doctors gave him a brutal choice to either leave his eye and lose all of his vision over time or go straight into surgery to get the tear welded back with a laser.

But, even after the operation, the former data analyst was left with just a fraction of his sight.

His technical role meant he relied on his eyesight.