Theresia Schwarzwald lovingly caresses the bushy fur of her Collie Rocky: “He is there for me every minute and never leaves me alone.” The 67-year-old Attnanger and three-year-old Rocky have been a well-rehearsed team since July 2021 – the two have experienced a lot during the months of training to become a guide dog. “He’s still very young and playful. He always wants to test his limits,” says the pensioner.
Since the age of 14, Theresia Schwarzwald’s visual performance has deteriorated massively until, at the age of 48, she was only able to perceive shadow and light. However, this did not stop the pensioner: Together with her second husband Walter – himself a serious epileptic – and her guide dog, Theresia Schwarzwald went on many trips, even to Venice. Her husband was always an important support until his epileptic seizures worsened.
Now she visits him every day in the nursing home. “I then say to Rocky: ‘Let’s go to Walter. ?? Then he knows his way around and can find the way on his own. Even if I lose something, he is there,” says the pensioner. The OÖN-Christkindl supported Ms. Schwarzwald this year with a donation to finance Rocky’s education. “I am infinitely grateful,” says Ms. Schwarzwald. “Because my life would have no meaning without Rocky.”
Source: Nachrichten
