Guide dog aids blind owner and former leading labrador after he loses sight

For more than six years, Edward was a truly outstanding guide dog, well known in and around Stowmarket. But last summer, after developing inoperable cataracts, Graham Waspe’s committed canine companion had to have both his eyes removed, leaving him unable to continue in his role. Now Mr Waspe, 60, has new guide dog Opal to help him – and Edward – get around.

Mrs Waspe, 58, said that despite the loss of his eyes, Edward still loved nothing more than to be around children, have his tummy tickled and receive lots of attention. The eight-year-old hound has been retired for four months but the loss of his eyesight has shown no sign of slowing him down. Mrs Waspe said: “We were both devastated and cried buckets on the night they told us they were going to remove his first eye. Graham said then ‘do you think he will ever be happy again?’ and then they said they would have to remove the second eye.



“He is still very popular – just as much, if not more than before. People ask lots of questions about how he copes and he is probably more famous now because even more people stop to talk to him.” Mrs Waspe said Opal, a two-year-old bitch, had arrived shortly after Edward retired.

She said: “Opal arrived far quicker than expected because, sadly, a couple of people in the Stowmarket area with fairly young guide dogs had died. We got Opal on November 12 and she started training with Graham on the 16th and they were qualified in early December.” Mr Waspe has limited vision in only one of his eyes following two separate incidents earlier in his life, and coped for a long time without a guide dog before being partnered with Edward in 2004.

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