South China Morning Post
25th December 2022
Guide dogs change lives of visually impaired in Hong Kong, but still barred from some restaurants, public transport
• Seeing Eye Dog Services opens school to train canines and match them with users free of charge
• Charity wants more done to establish role of guide dogs and improve knowledge of how they help residents in need
By Oscar Liu
Hong Kong student Mario Tam Ho-chung goes everywhere with his Labrador Dor-dor, who acts as his companion and his eyes.
“I trust him with my life whenever I go out,” the 20-year-old said.
Tam was 16 when he found out he had glaucoma, a progressive optic nerve disease which causes the loss of peripheral vision and is one of the leading causes of blindness in Hong Kong.
“I was sitting in class when my eyesight suddenly became very blurred. It felt like when you’re having a hotpot meal and your glasses steam up. I didn’t pay much attention at first, but it got worse,” he said.
His left eye is now completely blind and he is only able to make out colours and shapes and sense the intensity of light with his right eye.
He got his guide dog Dor-dor free of charge from the charity Hong Kong Seeing Eye Dog Services two years ago, and an incident soon after convinced him that his canine friend was a lifesaver.