The dog who has his own guide dog

Like typical border collies, Bonnie and Clyde love nothing better than roaming around, getting up to mischief and charming soft-hearted humans into indulging them with a quick stroke and a kind word. But their carefree life ended when they were abandoned on a street in the middle of a storm.

Their plight tugs harder still at the heartstrings of dog-lovers when they realise that Clyde, who is totally blind, relies entirely on his partner in crime to act as a guide dog for him. Now the black and white dogs, which are as inseparable as their namesakes, desperately need to be re-homed.

They are being cared for at Meadow Green Dog Rescue Centre in Hales Green, near Loddon, where workers are struggling to find them a new owner, despite the dogs' friendly temperament. The pair have formed a close bond because of Clyde's blindness, which is caused by a degenerative disease.



Cherie Cootes, from the centre, said: “If Clyde's unsure where he is he will suddenly go behind her and put his face on the back of her so she can guide him where he is going. He totally relies on her the whole time. When she walks she tends to stop and make sure he's there - she does look out for him.

“When she's about you wouldn't necessarily notice he is blind, but when she's not about he refuses to move without her. There's absolutely no option of homing them separately - they have to go as a pair.” She added: “She's just so good with him. They really are the most lovely pair of dogs. We've got to find them a home.”

Miss Cootes said the dogs would make ideal pets in a home with a large, secure garden away from busy roads. Clyde is a long-haired border collie with a friendly face and is about five years old, while short-haired Bonnie is aged two or three and is much smaller.