Miserable, anxious, depressed: how guide dogs are faring in the pandemic

Amid lockdowns, their daily activities have been put on hold - and their owners fear they won't recover from it

The daily life of a working guide dog is filled with dynamic combinations of people, smells, sights and sounds. Their job - to navigate this cacophony on behalf of their visually impaired handlers - is intense and important. When Covid-19 hit, these dogs couldn't open up a laptop and continue working from home. Now, their owners are grappling with the pandemic's long-term effects on their guides and guardians.

One of my very first thoughts when I heard that my city was shutting down was OK, what am I going to do with my dog?'" says Marie Villaneda, 19, of Bloomington, Indiana. She got her guide, a five-year-old Bernese mountain dog and black lab mix named Milot, at 15. Pre-pandemic, the duo walked 10 miles a day, so it became clear very, very quickly that Milot was bored". For guide dogs, guiding is like writing a doctorate dissertation. It takes a lot of the dog's brain power and physical energy," she says, and there's just nothing equivalent that I can simulate at home."