How ‘50p guide dog’ changed the life of Wrexham man

A 50p investment in a guide dog has helped to transform the life of a Wrexham man.

John Carruthers, who lives in Pentre Bach with his young family, has worked in Wrexham Maelor Hospital’s eye clinic as a liaison officer for the past seven years.

During his time in the role his eyesight deteriorated due to a degenerative disease, retinitis pigmentosa, which was diagnosed when he was 25 years old.

However three years ago John, a passionate advocate for the Guide Dogs charity, was given Gryffin.

He said: “Gryffin changed my life – it’s been a breath of fresh air.

“I was on a waiting list for a guide dog for a year and had to go through an adoption process of sorts. Guide dogs are a tremendous charity – I’d endorse it 110% and they have a fantastic matching process to make sure you get the right dog.

“They asked questions about family life and, as I have young children and need the dog in work, I needed a relaxed and calm dog.

“As well as a working dog, he’s also a pet in the house.”

The charity also helps visually impaired people who face problems in their day-to-day lives.

Despite laws being in place to permit visually impaired people with guide dogs to have access to public places and services, John still has problems: “Most places accommodate dogs but I’ve had a couple of experiences in Wrexham where I’ve been turned away from a restaurant and a taxi because of the dog.

“There’s still a lot of educating to be done. Ultimately it’s all about equality and independence. In the case of the restaurant I was prepared to walk away but my wife felt they needed to be educated.”

In his youth, John was a rugby player and played for Llanelli Schools. One of his ambitions is to find a team playing blind rugby in the North.

He also has high praise for the facilities on offer at the Racecourse ground, where disability officer Kerry Evans offers a Bluetooth device for visually impaired fans to listen to an audio commentary.

Being able to get around is made all the easier and quicker because of Gryffin: “Losing your eyesight can knock someone’s independence and confidence – it has a massive impact on mental health – so having a dog that can help you navigate your way round is a huge benefit.

“There are huge funding issues with guide dogs and that’s why I’m so keen to support Guide Dogs – we paid a token 50p for our dog but having Gryffin has been priceless for me.”

Deborah Rees, of Guide Dogs Wales, added: “Guide Dogs is a charity that relies entirely on donations from the public – we’re not funded by the Government. And, although the person given a guide dog only pays a token 50p, the true cost of a trained guide dog is more than £56,000.”

John recently met Plaid Cymru’s North Wales MS to discuss the impact of Guide Dogs on his life and others. Llyr Gruffydd said: “The work of Guide Dogs as a charity is invaluable to all those individuals who have visual impairment.

“It maintains their independence and broader wellbeing and enables people like John, who is making a huge contribution to our community, to work.

“It’s difficult to appreciate the daily challenges faced with visual impairment but I’ve yet to meet someone who deals with life as well as John.

“I would urge people to consider supporting Guide Dogs as a very worthwhile charity.”