Guide dog shortage: Blind man from Exmouth says he will struggle

David Gailey is about to say farewell to his guide dog Tarka

A blind man has said he is at risk of losing his independence due to a delay in the training of guide dogs.

David Gailey, from Exmouth, Devon, is preparing to part ways with his guide dog Tarka - a 10-year-old Labrador who is due to retire soon.

However, he does not know when he will be assigned a replacement dog due to an extensive waiting list.

Guide Dogs UK said the delays were caused by a pause in breeding and training during the pandemic.

'Kept me safe'

Mr Gailey, who has had Tarka for the past eight years, said he was going to struggle without a seeing-eye dog.

Tarka is expected to be rehomed after reaching retirement.

Mr Gailey said: "I've had Tarka for just over eight years now and he's been a wonderful guide dog - I couldn't fault him at all.

"He's given me my independence, he's kept me safe.

"He's just changed my life... I can't do without him."

He said the shortage of guide dogs meant he would have no choice but to go back to using a long cane, which he had difficulty using.

Tarka has reached the automatic retirement age for guide dogs

"Without [Tarka] I would certainly struggle," he said.

"People recognise a guide dog more than they do a white long cane."

Pete Osbourne, the chief operations officer at Guide Dogs UK, acknowledged that the wait for a suitable dog could be "very difficult".

"It takes around two years to breed, raise and train our dogs, so we are still feeling the impact of the pandemic, when we had to pause our breeding and training for five months," he said.

"Our staff are focused on reducing waiting times and increasing the number of guide dog partnerships, supported by our amazing family of volunteers.

"The average national waiting time is currently 15.5 months, however every guide dog owner is unique, with different needs and circumstances, and it's vital that we match them with the right dog so that the partnership is successful for years to come."

Mr Gailey said Tarka gave him independence

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