Doggone terrifying! ' CROSSING THE ROAD COULD KILL ME'

This young Tauranga woman needs a pooch to protect her

- Cloe Willetts

Whenever Haley Craig leaves her house alone for simple tasks, like food shopping or a doctor’s appointment, her life is at risk. For the Tauranga resident, who was born partially blind and has since experienced further deterioration in her eyesight, even crossing the road by herself can be fatal.

“I was almost hit by a red-light runner once. Road crossings are my biggest challenge, especially with electric cars because I can’t hear them,” says Haley, 25, a poster girl for Blind Low Vision NZ’s annual Red Puppy Appeal, which raises money for training guide dogs.

“I pushed the button and it was telling me I could go, so I stepped out without seeing the car coming. It was a miracle because if I walked any faster or the car went any slower, I would’ve been hit. I needed to sit down with a drink after that one!”

Although the aspiring counselor uses a cane and guidance from a support worker or friend during her outdoor ventures, having a guide dog to call her own would mean the beginning of a more freeing life. But at a cost of over $50,000 to train and raise just one dog, Wellington-born Haley is still two years away from meeting the furry friend she went on the waiting list for last year.