A Dundee veteran has explained why his guide dog wears a red and white checked harness – as locals keep mistaking him for a training dog.
James Abercrombie, known as Aber, was partnered with guide dog River six months ago but says the black lab is mistaken for a trainee guide dog almost every day.
Aber and the charity Guide Dogs have teamed up to educate the public about what a red and white checked harness means.
Most guide dogs wear a yellow-coloured flash on their white harness – which signals the person is blind or partially sighted.
Whereas, a guide dog wearing a red and white check harness signals its owner has both sight and hearing loss.
The same goes if you see a person with a red and white striped cane.
Aber suffered significant sight and hearing loss after a stroke in 2018.
As a result, he is now severely sight impaired and only has some hearing remaining in his right ear.
Frustration over red and white harness confusion
Being partnered with River has been life-changing for Aber, but he has become frustrated with people confusing him for a trainee guide dog.
He said: “I think most people are just so used to seeing the yellow guide dog harness that when they see him in red and white, they wrongly assume he’s not a working dog.
“I really want to educate people about this as it can be really bad when we’re on the bus.
“People just assume he is just a guide dog in training and don’t move his seat as a result.
“People are always trying to grab and pet him too because they don’t realise he is working.”
Wendy Kinnin, head of canine assisted services for Guide Dogs Scotland, added: “We kindly ask the public to respect guide dogs’ jobs by refraining from petting, talking to, or distracting them while on duty.
“Our guide dogs need to focus on guiding their handlers safely and confidently.”
Conversation