Third guide dog for the blind introduced to the public

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s third guide dog was introduced to the public on Sunday.

Guide dog Seretta will assist her owner Mr Alvin Ng.

The pair returned from Melbourne in late November, following four weeks of intensive training.

Their instructor will remain in Singapore for a week to help them settle in.

Mr Ng had lost his sight as a result of an auto—immune condition called Still’s Disease.

Guide dogs like Seretta can make a big difference to the lives of their visually—impaired owners —— helping them to have greater mobility, confidence and independence.

But Mr Ng said it is important to educate the public on how to behave when they see a guide dog.

"Just don’t distract the guide dog because once you start calling or make friendly gesture to the guide dog, (although) she’s trained to ignore all these distractions, but dogs being dogs, they get distracted from time to time," said Mr Ng.

"As soon as she gets distracted, she’ll veer out of our original line of travel," he added.

— CNA/lp