Get George a guide dog.

UPDATE: What an adventure this has been thank you to everybody!

I have received two further very generous donations totaling £9000 so I have decreased the total amount. We are very nearly at the total now and I can’t believe it.

Thanks again all fantastic work and your support generosity and kind words mean a lot.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year, George.

UPDATE: I've received a direct donation of £5000 & so have reduced the goal total.

Get George a guide dog.

I will try to keep this as brief as possible.

For those of you who have never seen a guide dog or even know what they do... they are simply a life changer more than you can ever imagine. They are not just simply a dog, they are your true light and support in this crazy world.

Try and imagine you put your life in the hands of an animal, every time you leave the house, enter a coffee shop, cross the road or negotiate a flight of stairs. You give your full trust and confidence in the dog... I miss my beautiful guide dog Briar every single day and I wish I could see her again to say a million thankyou’s for everything she did for me.

When you lose your guide dog it is like a piece of you has died, you have such a true pure connection with your dog it is like you are one, a partnership you cannot even put into words. They are simply incredible and I am unable to explain this feeling to sighted people and for those of you who are lucky enough to have experienced working with a guide dog, you know what I am saying.

Thank you Briar and thank you to my next dog, whoever you are and here we go... let's start a new adventure together. Love you Briar and you will be forever loved and fondly missed.

Now the hard part….

Go Fund. Get George a Guide Dog

Dear All,

My name is Andrew George, simply known as George, a 42 year old British Physiotherapist living in Malta with my young family. I am reaching out to you with a heartfelt plea for help to raise funds for a new guide dog.

Aged 3 I was diagnosed with an eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition which slowly destroys the retina causing blindness. Unfortunately for me the disease progressed quickly and in my 20s my vision had deteriorated making me legally blind.

Consequently, I received my beautiful guide dog Briar from UK Guide Dogs. However, in 2021 my beloved companion tragically passed away suddenly due to an underlying heart condition.

Since then I have been striving tirelessly for the past 17 months to acquire a new guide dog locally in Malta but regrettably, I have been met with numerous obstacles and no viable solutions have emerged.

After reaching out to the IGDF, the ‘International Guide Dogs Federation’ https://www.igdf.org.uk/, they informed me that there may be a simple solution to this predicament and connected me with some international contacts. Immediately I felt some light in this dark situation and began contacting guide dog training centers around the world. Amazingly a training school in Norway informed me that they may be able to help.

The training school gave me the best news ever as they could see my unique dilemma and offered to help. I told them I am willing to privately finance the dog if necessary, taking full responsibility for any training costs and ongoing care.

Which leads me to this post, as such I humbly request any financial help you are able to give, your assistance would be a beacon of hope for me and my family as it will allow me to regain my mobility and to continue making a positive impact in the lives of others.

Professionally trained guide dogs cost in the region of £40k due to the level of training they require. It takes on average 1.5 years to train a guide dog hence the price. Also, I will need to attend the school in Norway for intense training with the dog in order to be able to use the dog safely and independently. The training involves learning how the dog behaves and the correct commands for mobility.

All funds raised will go to the guide dog training school and we will provide receipts for the purchase and transport costs for myself and the dog from Norway to Malta.

I will take photos of the whole adventure and I look forward to taking you, whoever you are, on this adventure with us and when we reach the target, I will gladly invite you all to come to Malta to meet myself and my new eyes!

Your generosity, help and support is truly appreciated!

George

Here are some pictures of Briar and my small family.