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Thursday <strong>August</strong> <strong>24</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 3<br />
Perfect partners highlight Pawgust<br />
PAWGUST: Dan Shepherd and his guide dog Ezra help<br />
raise awareness for Blind Low Vision NZ guide dogs.<br />
• By Briar Allen<br />
DAN SHEPHERD would not be<br />
here today if it were not for his<br />
perfect match, Ezra, the guide<br />
dog who saved his life.<br />
Shepherd welcomed Ezra, a<br />
labrador retriever cross, into his<br />
family in October 2021. Within<br />
the first two weeks of having<br />
him, Ezra saved Shepherd’s life<br />
as a woman backed out of her<br />
driveway quite fast – and Ezra<br />
decided they were not going to<br />
walk any further and put on the<br />
brakes.<br />
“We stopped and suddenly her<br />
car was right in front of me. If I<br />
was still using my white cane, she<br />
would have killed me or at least<br />
pushed me onto the footpath.<br />
Ezra finds and gets what I need. I<br />
trust him.”<br />
Shepherd was diagnosed with<br />
Retinitis Pigmentosa when he<br />
was 15-years-old and reached out<br />
to Blind Low Vision NZ for help.<br />
“The condition has taken<br />
away my peripheral vision and I<br />
previously accessed the orientation<br />
and mobility service for my<br />
white cane use, and I was put<br />
on a waitlist for a guide dog,” he<br />
said.<br />
Shepherd said he waited 19<br />
years to reach out for help, as<br />
when he was diagnosed as a<br />
teenager it was a lot to process<br />
and it took him awhile to become<br />
comfortable and accept being<br />
identified with a disability.<br />
“It was a process for me to<br />
be happy being identified as a<br />
person with a disability. I have<br />
two boys, aged seven and four,<br />
and it was when the eldest was<br />
about two-and-a-half that he<br />
was becoming more mobile and<br />
wanted his dad to be active in his<br />
life. That was my motivation, to<br />
be a part of their lives.”<br />
Shepherd said working with<br />
Ezra is freeing as he can trust<br />
him to make the best decisions<br />
for both of them, unlike with the<br />
white cane he was using before<br />
where he had to process the information<br />
it was giving him and<br />
make decisions from that.<br />
“He is the perfect match. It is<br />
that feeling of freedom. For the<br />
first time I was able to walk at my<br />
own pace, I got matched with a<br />
dog who helps bring awareness.<br />
He has confidence in new places<br />
which in turn gives me confidence<br />
to do new things, that is a<br />
real important part for me.”<br />
Shepherd works at Blind Low<br />
Vision NZ as the head of access<br />
and awareness, and said there<br />
was a three-year wait before he<br />
was matched with Ezra as the<br />
matching process was quite<br />
intense.<br />
“My walking speed was<br />
tracked so Ezra is matched to<br />
my walking speed, I am a bigger<br />
guy so I needed a bigger dog who<br />
would be able to stop me from<br />
walking when necessary.<br />
“I also travel for work so Ezra<br />
is good in new places and likes<br />
meeting new people.”<br />
He said it takes about $100,000<br />
to train a guide dog, which is one<br />
of the main challenges.<br />
“It is why we need campaigns<br />
Pawgust to put dogs in the community.<br />
The dogs go through a<br />
19-week training programme<br />
before a final test which only two<br />
out of six dogs’ pass. This is why<br />
we need more funding to breed<br />
more dogs who will be successful.”<br />
Pawgust involves people and<br />
their pets walking or running<br />
during the month of <strong>August</strong> to<br />
help raise vital funds for Blind<br />
Low Vision NZ guide dogs.<br />
• Sign up to Pawgust at<br />
www.pawgust.com.au<br />
HOMESTAY FAMILIES WANTED<br />
• Cultivate international friendships<br />
• Learn new phrases and communication skills<br />
Can you provide a safe<br />
and comfortable environment,<br />
welcoming an international<br />
student into your family,<br />
long or short term?<br />
We would love to hear<br />
from you!<br />
TRACY<br />
SUMMERFIELD<br />
FOR WIGRAM<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION<br />
Phone Allison: 021 706 484<br />
Or email: canterburyhomestay@gmail.com<br />
Authorised by T Summerfield, 2/142 Ferry Road, Christchurch 801<br />
We found the efforts and assistance by Cameron, Catherine and support<br />
staff during our marketing campaign and auction process to be extremely<br />
professional. We were provided with a plan for the campaign, full feedback<br />
from open homes, and full involvement in the auction process.<br />
All facets were timely, open and honest and we always felt<br />
comfortable. Cameron’s experience and professionalism came to the<br />
fore during the auction process - the strategy meeting and the auction<br />
itself. Extremely well done.<br />
- Graeme & Jackie -<br />
Phone or text 027 555 7079<br />
REINZ Residential Salesperson of the Year* 2020 - 2022<br />
No.1 Harcourts Canterbury 2012-<strong>2023</strong><br />
cameron.bailey@harcourts.co.nz No.1 Harcourts New Zealand 2017-<strong>2023</strong><br />
No.1 Harcourts Internationally <strong>2023</strong><br />
www.cameronbailey.harcourts.co.nz Licensed Sales Consultant REAA 2008<br />
*Residential Salesperson of the Year across all brands in New Zealand.
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