My interest in guide dogs started almost ten years ago when my family adopted a retired guide dog called Gabby. She had been a working guide dog for almost four years until she developed a medical condition which forced her to retire from service.
For the next nine years, this amazing dog became a part of our family, travelling with us from England to Bahrain and then to Abu Dhabi, showing us love, devotion and unquestionable loyalty until she sadly passed away in April 2009.
When my class was asked to complete a personal project at school for our diploma, I contacted the fundraising division of the London Centre of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (which is totally funded by public donation) to offer my support. They told me about a recycling company in the United Kingdom that works very closely with many charities, donating money for every ink jet cartridge they receive. Every year we throw away more than 370 million used cartridges, and each can take up to 450 years to decompose causing contamination to the earth.
While everyone knows that the environment is an important cause, not everyone understands the work that the Guide Dog Association does.
Certain breeds of dog are chosen for their temperament and intelligence. The people who are dedicated to training these dogs truly respect these incredible animals and it is very important to match the blind or partially-sighted person with the right dog.
After 19 weeks of intense training, a dog in training is assessed to make sure it has reached an accepted level to move on to advanced training before officially becoming a guide dog. I now understand how a guide dog can change a blind person’s life by giving them freedom, mobility and independence, things we sometimes take for granted.
By asking people to donate their used ink jet cartridges, I’m trying to help both the environment and the Guide Dog Organization without any cost to the public. Please think about donating your used ink jet printer cartridges before you throw them away. If you’d like to help, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and the team will forward your details on to me.
Stefanie Kinnear, age 18
