Tom O’Neill of the Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Guide Dogs, got his first Guide Dog, Frank in 1985 and is currently on his seventh guide dog, Qeb. Tom speaks of the freedom, mobility and confidence he gets from having a guide dog and the ability to meet so many people through having a guide dog, the positive image that is shown to the world and the freedom it allows him to get out and about, be involved and to do something extremely positive with his life and within the community.
Tom met his late wife, Breege in Sligo when they were both doing a course designed to help visually impaired people adjust their lives due to vision loss or impairment. In June 2021, Tom lost Breege to cancer and his then dog, Gatsby, passed away in the middle of losing Breege, also due to cancer. The dog Tom currently has, Qeb, is the last dog Breege ever trained with. In Longford, where Breege is laid to rest, Qeb allows Tom the ability to walk twenty minutes up to the graveyard and sit and reminisce at the gravestone to think about the 40 plus years they shared together, all thanks to the dog they would one day go on to share and grant them both independence.

Given the importance of a guide dog in their lives and the lives of others, Tom and Breege left a legacy donation to the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind in their wills. Did you know that 1 in 3 guide dogs are supported by legacy donations from being left in a persons will. If you are looking for a noble and lifechanging way to support the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, why not leave a legacy donation in your will and help give independence and change lives.

Please see link below to video of Tom O’Neill speaking about leaving a donation in your will:
https://www.guidedogs.ie/how-you-can-help/ways-to-donate

You can contact Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs by phone/text
0876489479, email: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan
Branch of Guide Dogs.