I got some news a couple of weeks ago that, in normal times, would have been up on the blog immediately. But because now is now, I hadn’t posted it yet.
After some logistical hurdles and technical difficulties, GDB received all my guide dog reapplication stuff, and it went to the committee, and I have been accepted to train with a new guide dog. Unfortunately, because of the world we live in, I have no idea when I will receive a class date because of the closed borders and all that. But at least I have been accepted.
I know I don’t have a big frame of reference of guide dog acceptances to draw from, but this one is the weirdest so far. When I was accepted for Babs, I had no idea what to expect, how to prepare, nothing. When I was accepted for Trixie after Babs’s career disintegrated in front of me, I wanted that new dog so badly. When I was accepted for Tansy, I was excited to go, and had logically come to terms with the fact that Trix was retired, but there were still sad moments where it came and smacked me in the face. I wasn’t ready to accept that I was replacing her, even though that was exactly what I had to do. Now this one is just odd. I am accepted, but I have no idea when class will be. I don’t even have a shred of a clue. Plus, Tansy is still doing the occasional bit of work, so it feels extra weird to think about replacing her, even though she is almost 9 and a half and she is definitely slowing down and by the time this stupid virus is under control, she will probably have hung up the harness.
So that’s the latest on the journey to dog no. 4. Woe! Dog no. 4! That sounds crazy to say but it’s true. When I know something else, so will you.