A few weeks ago we had a power cut in the village, and I was suddenly thrown into darkness and all alone in the house apart from Alfie. It was a nerve-racking experience just making my way to the cupboard by the back door where I keep the candles. I have walked across my lounge countless times and thought I knew how many steps it was to the door and where all the furniture is located, but I was wrong, and walked into the edge of the table before colliding with the door frame. Alfie was equally useless and simply got under my feet.
Imagine then what it must be like to live every day with those conditions, which is what Adam Whetton has experienced ever since he lost his sight following a riding accident at the age of 12. Adam lives as normal a life as he possibly can and refuses to give in to his disability. He is a full time customer service team advisor for the Peak Park in Bakewell and has walked the mile or so to work and back most days over the last 17 years, with the aid of one of his devoted guide dogs. Only when the weather is particularly bad does he have a lift. Adam is also the Chairman of ‘Access’ which is a group dealing with accessibility issues within Bakewell.
For this article, the latest in my series in which Alfie meets some very special working dogs, I was very pleased when Adam agreed to have a chat, and to tell me all about his experiences.
Adam has owned four guide dogs in the past 25 years. His first was a little German Shepherd called Dusty who was extremely special and utterly devoted to him. Then there was Ulan a yellow Labrador, followed by Toby a golden retriever cross and currently Kirk who is a very handsome black Labrador.
Adam is a familiar figure around Bakewell; there are many people like myself who have seen him on his route and have the utmost admiration for him and his wonderful dogs. He also has friends around town like Wendy and John at the card shop, the Skidmore brothers next door or Ray and Sharon at Bakewell Pet Supplies, who phone Adam to warn him if the pelican crossing is out of order or there are road works and new hazards that he should know about.
A while ago when several shops in Rutland Square were undergoing a facelift, and the pavement in front became a narrow tunnel through scaffolding, Adam got ‘sandblasted’ with water and grit from above because newly trained Kirk was put off by the high pitched noise, which he had been trained to treat as a danger. Kirk is now extra cautious about walking under any scaffolding!
Adam has had several falls and incidents on his travels, but he strives to retain his independence. One of the most embarrassing was when he took Ulan for a lunchtime run in Scots Gardens by the side of the river some years ago. Adam knew the path off by heart and let his dog off the lead as normal. However, the path was extremely muddy and Adam slipped into the river, landing waist deep among the weeds and mud. As Ulan frantically tried to get at him, a couple of women passing by asked if Adam was alright. “I always sit here up to my knees in my lunch hour actually!” was his reply. After being scooped out of the water, a couple of Peak Park Rangers took Adam home for a change of clothes, and it was not long before he was back at his desk, resilient as ever.
When Adam is at work, Kirk has a basket in the office where he spends much of the time, apart from when he goes for fusses with Adam’s workmates or stretches out on the carpet – his nickname is ‘hearthrug’.
On Fridays Adam and Kirk travel to Cromford. As part of a University of Derby course, Adam is studying for a City & Guilds qualification in Information Technology, using specially designed software which talks to him when he presses his keyboard.
Adam lives at the top of Bakewell with his wife Helen, together with retired guide dog Toby aged 11 and 3 year old Kirk. The house is very much a dog lover’s home with toys and chewy bones all over the place, which Adam admits he has to negotiate very carefully. As we chatted, Kirk was curled up on his sheepskin rug snoring contentedly, whilst Toby was stretched out in front of the fire – when not wearing the special white harness that is significant to guide dogs, they are ‘off duty’ and treated like normal family pets.
Adam and his family have always kept his dogs when they retired, although old guide dogs can face being re-homed in certain circumstances.
When Ulan retired he was so well thought of at the Peak Park headquarters that the staff arranged a ‘leaving do’ and presented him with a bed and brush, whilst Toby had his retirement party at The Wheatsheaf!
The Guide Dog Association was founded way back in 1934 with the first training centre opening in Leamington Spa in 1940. Since then 21,000 dogs have been successfully trained to provide independence and mobility to blind or partially sighted persons. In the 1960’s a breeding programme was established at Tollgate House near Warwick and the charity is now the world’s largest breeder and trainer of working dogs.
As with all the charities which involve working dogs, there are rules and regulations that must be adhered to by the handlers. Adam could never show his dogs or give demonstrations without permission. He is not allowed to lend them to anyone or make a profit, and should only take them walks on roads where there are pavements. There are also regular after care visits from trainers.
For the first year puppies live with a ‘puppy walker’ who encourage the dogs gently and make them familiar with every day conditions and situations. There then follows months of more intensive training before a suitable handler is allocated, and the pair learn to work together for a while under supervision. If a dog successfully qualifies, it is generally between 16 and 20 months old when it is allocated to a particular person.
Kirk initially underwent some training in Sheffield before he was introduced to Adam, followed by intensive training together around Bakewell. Finally they were taken back to Sheffield for a few days advanced training and spent time walking around the city centre. Adam was rather surprised to be lead eagerly down The Moor, through busy shopping arcades and to various market stalls where Kirk was warmly greeted by his friends amongst the stallholders before trying to take Adam onto a nearby bus which had its doors open!
Guide Dogs not only act as a person’s eyes, but they must also have strict control in various circumstances, as it is essential that a handler has complete trust in his dog. There are times however, when even the hardiest dog can be frightened and put to the test. When walking home with Toby one bonfire night, someone stupidly let off a firework close by. Adam said that his usual commute of 30 minutes was speeded up to a 20 minute dash as Toby dragged him home to safety. It had a permanent effect on the poor dog though and he still shakes and gets stressed out every time he hears a loud bang.
Adam and his dogs are rarely parted, being only when he and Helen have taken holidays abroad. Many of their holidays though are to Teignmouth or the Lake District where there are specially adapted hotels that can cater for people who are blind or partially sighted, and their guide dogs are also made very welcome. This is a time for Adam and his wife to meet up with old friends and acquaintances who they have met over the years – and the dogs have a get together as well!
Fundraising for the charity is extremely important, with flag days in local towns, trade stands at Bakewell Show and the Chatsworth Country Fair, as well as stalls and coffee mornings. But it is rather sad that the number of local volunteers is slowly dwindling, and there is now just a small band of loyal supporters to help this worthy cause, most of whom are retired.
This article was written by Sally Mosley as part of a series of articles about dogs involved in charities or working dogs in the Peak District. Sally is available for public speaking, one of the talks being about her experiences whilst researching and writing these articles. For further information please visitwww.sallymosley.co.ukor email mail@sallymosley.co.uk