Have guide dog, will travel

AN amazingly courageous journey ended earlier this month when brave Bay woman Lisa Visagie and her guide dog Bagheera arrived home after travelling abroad together.

Lisa Visagie was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut, USA but without Bagheera, Lisa as a visually impaired person with only 1% sight would not have been able to confidently accept the opportunity.

She chose to go for a short period and so for three months she and her guide dog shared wonderful experiences.

Determined Lisa made all the necessary arrangements to have Bagheera on the same flight.

After much paperwork, blood tests and vaccinations, Bagheera was ready to accompany her on the 15-hour flight to John F Kennedy International Airport.

Suitable accommodation was also arranged in New Haven and Lisa and her companion were set to take the opportunity with both hands, and all paws.

‘Bagheera’s behaviour was impeccable during the long flights both ways, he is such a star,’ says Lisa proudly.

In between lectures, library research and meetings, they found time for some sight-seeing.

Together they enjoyed a horse and carriage ride through Central Park, took a few rides in good old New York yellow taxi cabs and also ventured onto a ferry to visit Lady Liberty.

A New York subway train zipped them to downtown Manhattan where Lisa shopped and Bagheera ‘strutted his stuff’.

The guide dog association even provided ‘Baggy’ with snow boots to protect his paws if he had to go out in snowy weather.

Together they learnt a lot and are now closer than ever as a team.

A host of special memories were made and new friendships were formed while Lisa thrived on the opportunity to study further towards her PhD in Psychology.