SPENDING time with Artane woman Dominique Farrell and her guide dog Opal gives a rare insight into the bond between a person living with a visual-impairment, and their
“eyes
?.
Dominique (40) was born three months premature. At the time she was given a one per cent chance of survival, but being the fighter she is, she beat all the odds against her.
The cost of her survival though, was that the amount of oxygen she needed permanently damaged her eyesight which got progressively worse over time.
As an adult, she tried a cane but admits there was a
“stigma attached to using it.
“There was a clicking sound when it hit off the pavement,
? Dominique tells Northside People.
“Obviously you can’t interact with a cane; it makes you hesitant and slower because you’re relying on yourself to control it.
?
After a fall, aged 30, Dominique agreed that the cane wasn’t enough to enable her to get around safely anymore. Reluctantly she signed up for a guide dog with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) despite her belief that she was
“not a dog-person
?.
In 2003, she travelled to the IGDB headquarters in Cork to meet her new dog Holly for the required three-week training course.
The training was intense and thorough and ensured that she and Holly bonded and became used to each other’s temperament, gait and stride.
“I had never walked with a dog before,
? says Dominique.
“It was hard for me to feel I could trust a dog to safely guide me around and I didn’t know what she’d make of me. I was very anxious about it all.
?
Holly was also nervous and when left alone with Dominique for the first time pined for her instructor.
Dominique says:
“Some new guide dogs suffer separation anxiety from their instructor initially and might even get sick.
?
However, Dominique and Holly earned each other’s trust over time and began to feel comfortable together.
“Your dog starts to look to you for reassurance which is nice,
? she states.
“They are placing their trust in you.
?
Holly worked with Dominique for eight years, both relying on each other and becoming so close that time apart was rare and palpable for both of them.
On Holly’s retirement in early 2011, Dominique felt dispirited and wondered how she could possibly form as strong a bond with a new guide dog. She also worried that a new dog would have a negative effect on Holly who would live out her retirement with Dominique and her parents in Artane.
She admits that before Opal came to live with them, her
“biggest fear was Holly’s reaction to me putting the working harness on Opal for the first time
?.
“I’d be leaving the house with Opal and Holly would be left behind,
? says Dominique.
“She’d know that Opal was taking over.
?
At first, Holly did feel confused by the situation, and pined when Dominique and Opal left the house without her but, after a while, Holly and Opal formed a
“sisterly
? relationship with each other and have since become very good companions.
Dominique admits that her relationship with Opal is just as special as her relationship with Holly was.
The two are a great match, complementing each other extremely well, just as Dominique and Holly did.
Each has a role to carry out, a job to perform, a specific purpose within their relationship allowing them to rely on each other for their very survival in a way that is unique to guide dogs and their owners. They are a team.
Dominique’s unwavering trust that Opal will safely take her where she wants to go is mirrored in Opal’s fierce protection of her beloved owner.
“I feel confident knowing that Opal is in control,
? she says.
“She’s minding me.
?
Having a guide dog has enabled Dominique to maintain a healthy lifestyle and achieve goals that she previously thought were beyond her range such as walking the Women’s Mini-Marathon last June and planning similar walks to raise money for her favourite charity – IGDB.
In fact, you may have seen her and Opal on one of their daily walks in Artane, Beaumont, Santry, Clontarf or the city centre. They are becoming a familiar sight on Dublin’s northside.
Dominique, despite her diminutive size, has a distinguishing long stride and a determined, swift pace which perfectly complement Opal’s similar treads.
You may also have come across them collecting for IGDB in your local supermarket or shopping centre. You may even have spoken to Dominique at some point. People stop to talk to her constantly, remarking on Opal’s shiny, healthy coat, her friendly demeanour and her expressive eyes.
Dominique could chat to you for hours about Opal and IGDB. She cites Opal as her
“best friend
?, acknowledging that having a guide dog has turned her life around.
It has given her a sense of independence and freedom which Dominique, as a born survivor, relishes and uses to its full potential.