Pedro & Patricia: A Retiree Love Story

There are few stories as poignant as love stories that take root in the sunset years of life.

Just ask Pedro.

Pedro was born in 1996. He was a fine and healthy Labrador puppy, raised to dynamic ‘doghood’ by his adoptive family. Like most of our dogs, he returned to the Center for six months of Guide Dog training. He and his partner, Miriam completed their four weeks of intensive training successfully and off Pedro went to Bat Yam for what everyone expected would be long years of service as a Guide Dog followed by a comfortable retirement.

But it was not to be. After eight years of faithful service, Pedro developed diabetes, a difficult-to-manage form that caused him fainting spells and very frequent urination. He required twice-daily doses of insulin, tests and regular access to medical care in order to function. Miriam had no choice but to give him up.

Time passed and Pedro languished. Having been raised in a loving adoptive home and as an active and resourceful guide dog, Pedro longed to be part of a family and on the go again. However, because of his unstable medical condition, he was a poor candidate for adoption. The Center even put him on television to try to find him an adoptive family without success. Other dogs came and went but Pedro remained in the kennel. Slowly, his spirit began to flag, further endangering his health.

Enter Volunteer Patricia Mills. Patricia, a veteran British Olah that arrived in Israel in 1965 to work for four weeks on the archeological digs in Masada… and never left. A pharmacist in her working life, Patricia joined our corps of volunteers in the summer of 2005 to provide extra time, attention and love to dogs housed temporarily in the boarding section of our kennel.  She developed a special attachment to Pedro during her twice-weekly visits and watched his gradual decline with concern. She wanted to take him home with her, but had serious reservations. After all, she had never before owned a dog, let alone one with such involved medical needs, and she was afraid how her cats Princess, Tiptail and Josephine, would react to the “intruder”. Finally, in December of 2005, love won out; she decided to give it a try.

At first, adding Pedro to the household was not easy. In addition to requiring prescription food, insulin injections twice a day and a urinary glucose test each morning, his diabetes was unstable, so he continued to suffer from fainting spells and urinary problems. The three cats further complicated things by going “on complete strike” for three days after his arrival.

However, with time and a great deal of patience, love and care, Pedro became part of the Mills household. The cats came out of hiding and coped with their new housemate by ignoring him. Pedro’s blood sugar stabilized and his energy level rose. Now, says, Patricia, she can’t imagine life without him. And the way Pedro looks at his mistress, it is clear that he feels the same way about her.

It’s still not easy for Patricia and Pedro. Sometimes his blood sugar spikes or drops and it has to be re-stabilized. And then there are the expenses. Most retired guide dogs become the full physical and financial responsibility of their new owners. Because Pedro’s adoption was truly a matter of life or death, the Center agreed to supply Patricia with insulin, syringes, immunizations and veterinary care.

“The Center helps as much as they can.” explains Patricia. “Still, I pay for a lot of things: his prescription food, diagnostic sticks and, of course, the things all dogs need like flea collars, toys and non-diabetic medications. Put that together with the work involved in taking care of a chronically-ill dog and you can see why people are reluctant to adopt them.”

So, why, with all the work and expenses involved, did Patricia adopt Pedro?

Patricia is empathic: “Pedro spent eight years of his life helping people. It isn’t right that a dog like him should live out his life in a kennel. He deserved better.”

Today, Pedro is a common sight around the Center offices. “Everyone loves Pedro,” she beams. “I even caught my cat Josephine licking him on the leg the other day.”

Pedro accompanies Patricia when she does her volunteer work and, she says, everywhere else that will let him in. “When he was a working Guide Dog, he went everywhere, work, shops, theaters, hairdressers… I don’t want him to get bored and forget how special he is.”

“When people see us on the street, want to pet him and ask if he bites, I always tell them that he’s a highly-trained Guide Dog and explain what Guide Dogs do. I use the opportunity to create awareness. He’s one of our best representatives.”

Looking at him, no one would guess that this beautiful animal had been so close to the edge.

Says Patricia: “He’s nearly 11 years old and looking younger and younger every day.”

Even so, with the normal process of aging new health challenges spring up, like the cataracts that are making it increasingly difficult for Pedro to see. “Dogs depend much more on their senses of smell and hearing to get around than on their eyesight, so he should be fine,” Patricia reassures. “If not, I’ll be his eyes or maybe I’ll have to look into getting him a Guide Dog!”

Many families that might otherwise provide loving homes for retired guide dogs are reluctant to adopt them out of a fear of incurring unexpected veterinary expenses. We are hoping to establish a Retired Guide Dog Veterinary Fund to ensure that these animals, that have spent their lives taking care of others, are, themselves, well cared for throughout the remainder of their lives. For more information, please contact us at info@israelguidedogs.com.