Man's Best Friend: Leader Dogs for the Blind
Wherever Joey Johson is, Tucker is never far away. Tucker is a five-year-old yellow Lab, and he is the reason Joey can walk out his front door with confidence.
At the October DFW Cyber Lions Club Lunch & Learn, Joey, a Leader Dogs for the Blind graduate, volunteer client speaker, and member of the Augusta Lions Club in Georgia, shared his journey from a life-altering diagnosis to a life of independence, travel, and service. "When you fund and support Leader Dog, you're not funding a dog. You're not funding a white cane. You're funding moments like that."
For Lions, Joey's story is also a reminder that our service reaches far beyond our own zip codes, and that it comes back home in ways we may never see.
"You're Going to Go Blind"
Joey has Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic eye disease that causes night blindness and a progressive loss of peripheral vision. A fully sighted person has about 180 degrees of field vision. Joey has about four. He described it as walking around looking through something a little larger than a drinking straw. His central vision is still 20/40; there just isn't much of it.
Joey was born with the disease but didn't learn he had it until he was 30. At the time, he was working in construction, and his coworkers quickly figured out they could startle him with a tap on the side of the head. He mentioned it at his next routine eye exam, and his doctor sent him to a specialist. After a round of testing, the diagnosis came with words he still remembers: "You have Retinitis Pigmentosa. You're going to go blind. There is no cure, no treatment. We'll see you next year."
So Joey kept going. A licensed plumber who specialized in medical gas piping for hospitals and medical facilities, he continued working and driving across Georgia and South Carolina, even as his vision narrowed so much it became dangerous to drive.
The Day He Stopped Driving
The turning point came on a dark, rainy, foggy morning while Joey was driving his 15-year-old daughter to school. Because of his limited vision, he never saw the dump truck that ran a red light and hit the front of their vehicle. They both walked away with a concussion, but Joey walked away with something else, too: the realization that "my vision problem wasn't just my problem anymore; it was my family's problem."
He stopped driving after dark, but he still wasn't ready to stop. A few years later, while teaching a plumbing class that ran late, he had to drive home at night. A 25-minute trip took an hour and a half as he stared at the lines on the road and searched for each traffic light. When he pulled in, his wife was standing on the porch, crying.
That was the day Joey gave up his driving and his career. He was 50 years old. His daughter was married, his wife was working, and his son was in school. The phone stopped ringing, friends stopped coming by, and Joey found himself alone at home asking hard questions. The biggest one: Is this isolation the example you're going to set for your children? The answer was no.
Swallowing His Pride
It was around the time of COVID, and help was hard to find. People suggested a white cane, but Joey didn't want to look blind or have people staring at him. A guide dog sounded much better, until he learned that guide dog schools require orientation and mobility training first. As Joey now tells schoolchildren, "The white cane is the keys. The guide dog is the car."
A local rehabilitation center connected Joey with a man who was blind and also had Retinitis Pigmentosa. When Joey explained that he didn't want people looking at him, the man had a simple reply: with no peripheral vision, Joey couldn't see whether anyone was looking anyway. Then came the advice that changed everything. Swallow your pride, call Leader Dogs for the Blind, get some training, and get on with your life.
Joey flew to Rochester Hills, Michigan, at no cost to him. Walking through the front door, he saw clients moving confidently with their canes and new guide dogs, and he decided he had no reason to complain anymore. On the last day of his white cane training, he got to test drive a guide dog around the block. When the trainer asked how it went, he told her he didn't like it at all. He loved it.
Doggy Day
The typical wait for a guide dog in the United States can run 18 to 24 months. Six weeks after Joey applied, Leader Dog called with a match.
Guide dog training lasts three weeks, and clients learn nothing about their dog ahead of time: not the breed, the color, or even whether it is a boy or a girl. On the third day, "doggy day," clients wait in their rooms listening to paws in the hallway. When Joey's trainer knocked and told him to call his dog, Tucker didn't come in timid. Joey said it was like Tucker ran in with a big hug, telling him, "I got you, buddy."
Joey compared the matching process to an arranged marriage. Leader Dog studies each client's walking, cane skills, home environment, physical ability, and lifestyle before choosing a dog. When Joey was matched, he mostly wanted to walk his neighborhood and get to a nearby park. Today, he works for a nonprofit that visits schools, and he and Tucker have traveled to 11 states and taken two cruises to the Bahamas. On a return visit to the Leader Dogs for the Blind campus, Tucker's trainer pulled Joey aside to ask how Tucker was doing so much more than she had expected. Joey's answer was simple. Before every big trip, he gets down on Tucker's level and tells him, "Buddy, I need you today." Tucker has never let him down.
Building that bond takes work. Labs and golden retrievers are the most common guide dog breeds today, in part because they are wonderful in public and, as Joey put it, they can be won over with food! Every successful step early in training earns a treat, a scratch, or praise. Over time, the treats become less predictable, which Joey compared to playing the slots in Vegas. Joey knew they were truly a team after about four months together, when he closed his eyes and let Tucker guide him for a full mile.
Moments Like That
About a year into their partnership, Joey and Tucker were on a two-mile walk to a neighboring subdivision. Joey trusted Tucker enough by then to listen to a podcast through one earbud. Suddenly, Tucker stopped so hard that his harness handle jerked. Inches in front of them was a car that had backed quickly out of a driveway. They were so close, Joey could smell the driver's perfume.
The driver was shaken, and Joey reassured her that they were okay. That's why he has Tucker. "I didn't listen to a podcast the rest of the way home," he said. Tucker had no idea he had done anything special. He was simply doing his job, and he got an extra treat when they got home.
That is what Joey wants everyone to understand. When we support Leader Dog, we are getting someone off the couch who is questioning their future. We are giving a family their father or mother back. "When someone says, 'Well, you're just helping someone get a dog,' it's not just a dog. It's way more than that."
What We Learned About Guide Dogs
During Q&A, attendees asked great questions, and Joey was an open book.
How long do guide dogs work? Most retire between eight and 10 years old, though a dog can show signs that it is ready to stop at any time. For the first year, the dog belongs to Leader Dog. If a dog stops working, it isn't considered a failure; it is a "career change." The dog may be retrained for another client, become a therapy dog, go to another organization, or return to its puppy raiser. After the first year, the dog legally belongs to the client. Tucker isn't going anywhere. As Joey joked, his wife would get rid of him before the dog!
How should people act around a guide dog? Joey said children are often better behaved around Tucker than adults. Most interactions are positive, but some people still pet a working dog without asking. He is happy for people to take Tucker's picture. The bigger misunderstanding is about blindness itself. Because Joey has some usable vision, people often assume he is training Tucker. Blindness is a spectrum, and many people who are blind have some sight.
How do guide dogs act around other dogs? Tucker almost never barks in public. He is curious about other dogs but has never wanted to play with them, even at Leader Dog. Joey joked that Tucker considers himself college educated.
Is Joey's vision still changing? His vision has been stable since around 2018, though there are no guarantees. He continues to see his retinal specialist so other conditions, like glaucoma, can be caught early.
How accessible are our communities? Newer construction typically includes curb cuts, truncated domes, and audible pedestrian signals, but older areas may not. Joey's neighborhood doesn't have sidewalks, and part of Tucker's training is learning to adapt to whatever environment they are in.
Founded by Lions, Funded by Lions
Leader Dogs for the Blind was founded by Lions in 1939 and is still led and supported by Lions today. All of its programs, including orientation and mobility training, guide dog training, teen orientation and mobility, and teen summer camp, are provided at no cost to clients, including travel within the U.S. and Canada, room and board, equipment, and instruction. Leader Dog receives no government or insurance funding and relies entirely on donors. The organization is also preparing for a capital campaign to renovate the residence hall where clients stay during training, designed by an architect who is himself blind.
One reason we invited Joey was to help our members feel more connected to the Lions charities we support. Joey acknowledged that when money is tight, many clubs would rather keep their giving local. His reminder: dollars sent to Michigan come right back home. He personally knows at least six Leader Dog teams in Georgia, and someone in Dallas-Fort Worth is waiting for a guide dog right now.
How You Can Support Leader Dogs for the Blind
Give
Leader Dog offers one-time gifts, Paws 365 monthly giving, and legacy giving through wills and trusts. Visit leaderdog.org to learn more.
Volunteer
Raise a puppy, host a breeding dog, volunteer on campus in Rochester Hills, or become a Leader Dog ambassador.
Share What You Know
If someone in your life is experiencing vision loss, let them know that Leader Dog's programs are available at no cost. Practice good guide dog etiquette, and share it with others: ask before you pet, and let working dogs work.
Bring Joey Back
Joey offered to return for a deeper educational session on how guide dog training and matching work. We may just take him up on it! Follow Joey and Tucker on Instagram at @tucker_leaderdog.
Around the Room
DFW Cyber Lions Club is all about commUNITY! We welcomed new Lions Marilyn and Rajendra, along with Denise Coffman of Be An Angel. Here's what attendees shared at the Lunch & Learn, and where you might be able to lend a hand:
Adapted Bowling Fundraiser – Maryann Hudgins reminded everyone about Neuro Fitness Foundation's adapted bowling fundraiser in November. DFW Cyber Lions Club is still deciding whether to field a team, so stay tuned!
DFW Cyber Lions Club Christmas Party – Marilyn Alagaban invited everyone to the club's Christmas party in December. More details are coming soon.
Holiday Drives with Lions and Hope 4 All – Hope 4 All is partnering with Rio Grande Valley Lions Clubs on three holiday drives, with Hope 4 All handling distribution in Dallas-Fort Worth. DFW Cyber Lions Club is collaborating on Operation Cuddles for Cops, collecting teddy bears and stuffed animals for officers to keep in their squad cars for children in difficult situations. A dog and cat food drive will run in early December, followed by a food drive in the second half of December.
Be An Angel Holiday Shopping – Denise invited volunteers to Be An Angel's biggest outreach of the year on December 1 at a partner Walmart in Irving. Shoppers take a child's wish list, shop for the gifts, and help load them for delivery to school districts. This year, volunteers will shop for 1,100 children with special needs across seven school districts. Be An Angel covers the cost; they just need shoppers! Keep scrolling for the event flyer.
Hope 4 the Holidays – Hope 4 All's online fundraising campaign runs throughout December, with an in-person kickoff and volunteer drive on the UT Dallas campus in early December. UTD business students are required to complete 100 hours of community service, so nonprofits and Lions Clubs are invited to host a table and meet students.
New Voices Symposium – Coming in February, the New Voices Symposium will focus on service leadership and collaboration and will include a community showcase, another opportunity to put your organization in front of new audiences.
Hope 4 All is highlighting the DFW Cyber Lions Club Lunch & Learns as our Awareness Wednesday series throughout this Lion year. Wish you were there to hear from Joey and Tucker? Catch the recording below, and consider this your invitation to join us next month!
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