A partially sighted little boy who was once petrified of dogs has found a best friend in a Labrador retriever.
Alfie Chesworth, aged six, soon overcame his fear when he met a gentle giant Cooper and they became best of friends.
Cooper, who is two years old, began life as a guide dog puppy but was withdrawn from training when he was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia.
However, this led him down a new career path as he is now a buddy dog to Alfie thanks to the charity Guide Dogs and the support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
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Alfie’s parents, Tamara and James, said Cooper arrived at their home in Bassaleg and fitted in with the family straight away and transformed all of their lives.
Tamara said: “He has made a massive difference to Alfie and everyone at school has noticed.
“Alfie’s calmer, whereas he used to bounce constantly on his feet when he talked. It’s had a real impact on the whole family.
“Alfie has a brilliant personality and brings joy to a room wherever he goes. He has a great sense of humour.
“He also has a sight condition called Septo-Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, and he would be fearful if things moved too fast, or vibrated, or were a bit jumpy.
“We needed Alfie to calm down, and that happened when we started going for walks with Cooper, who is a gentle giant and big enough for Alfie to track with his right eye.
Tamara claims that Alfie has come on leaps and bounds since having Cooper around and even his routine has improved in order to help look after his canine companion.
“Alfie has got into a routine and even goes to sleep earlier, which makes it better for him to learn at school the next day”, she added.
“Alfie gets involved in feeding and grooming Cooper, and even sets his alarm for 6:30am daily when we take him to the park.
“Cooper has befriended a border collie in the village called Willow, and they bring each other’s toys home – we have to swap them back.
“Cooper loves going in the river and playing with balls. James brought a light-up ball home from the gym so we can see it better, as we’ve lost a few.
“He has visited James’s work colleagues at Mini Sytner in Newport, and he’s been to Alfie’s school, Pentrepoeth Primary. I’m a florist, so Cooper comes with me to the wholesalers and even delivers bouquets with me.
“If we go to visit friends and family, Cooper comes too. We’re a package deal. We’ve even bought a caravan so we can go on holiday together. Alfie’s brother Jenson is only two but he’s fallen in love with Cooper as well, and the dog is very patient with him.
“When we heard about the buddy dog scheme from Guide Dogs, we applied immediately. We found the training and information days very helpful. Until you live with a dog, you don’t realise how much it can moult – I could make a wig! We were given plenty of support to decide if it was right for us, but we didn’t hesitate.
“Cooper has real personality and would have made a fantastic guide dog. But he also loves snuggling up and falling asleep, and he is definitely a family dog. When I see how he has changed our family, I know being a buddy dog was his true purpose.”
Kerry Bevan, head of Guide Dogs Cymru, said: “Alfie and Cooper are a great example of the positive effect that buddy dogs can have on the wellbeing of a sight-impaired child, helping to develop their self-confidence, improve relationships and build a greater sense of fun and
trust in themselves and others.
And it’s thanks to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery, whose support is helping fund the buddy dogs service this year and throughout 2022, that we’re able to make such a positive difference to the lives of up to 150 children like Alfie.”
To find out more about the Buddy Dog service in Wales, ring 0800 7811444.
