As I sat on the subway train on the way home last night, I saw a blind man come aboard. He said “Find seat” while pointing in a certain direction. He was being led by a black Labrador. The dog was a lovely creature, but I noticed he looked a bit sad and droopy-eyed. Then I saw how his owner interacted with him.
The blind man was not physically abusive, but he spoke to the dog in a tone that seemed sharp and impatient. His commands were abrupt, and he sometimes pushed the dog gently. It did not come across as very kind or patient.
As I observed this, I felt concerned. The dog looked up at me as if he sensed I was watching, and his expression seemed tired and down. I wondered why this dog looked that way, and I thought about the challenges these animals face. It made me realize that even seeing-eye dogs, which play such an important role, might sometimes experience difficult situations. You might expect that someone who depends on their dog so much would treat him with a great deal of care and patience.
Since this happened, I have been thinking about whether there was anything I could have done to help. The blind man was wearing loud headphones, so I did not think approaching him would have been effective or safe. But I felt compelled to share this because it stayed with me. Seeing this dog treated in a way that seemed rough from someone he relies on was troubling.
If you know anyone who uses a seeing-eye dog or work with organizations involved in training these animals, please encourage them to teach owners patience and kindness toward their dogs. These dogs cannot speak for themselves, but it was clear to me that something did not feel quite right here. I did not intervene this time, but if I see something like this again, I might have to.
Leave a Reply