Client Story: Janet Gerster and “Trooper”
“I thought about getting a guide dog for a long time,” says first-time Fidelco guide dog user Janet Gerster. “For most of my life, I had enough vision to travel independently.”
Janet’s vision continued to deteriorate due to retinitis pigmentosa, and she begun using a cane. The cane was helpful, but issues arose during her commute to work as a recruiter at the University of Pittsburgh. “When you use a cane, you are reactive. I have fairly good cane skills, but a cane can only tell you what’s three feet in front of you.
As the days grew shorter in the November in Pittsburgh, Janet noticed a discernible difference in her level of confidence traveling home from work. It was during one of her daily commutes on the bus that she noticed a man and his German Shepherd guide dog. Impressed by the way they worked together, Janet eventually asked him about his dog. As it turned out, the dog was a Fidelco guide dog. “I have always been drawn to the breed because I had a German Shepherd Dog growing up. When I saw that man and his dog working together so beautifully, it was the motivation I needed to reach out to Fidelco.” Upon doing so, Janet learned about Fidelco’s In-Community Placement training model, which was ideal for her as a working mother who could not spend three or more weeks away from home to train. After the application process, Fidelco Placement Specialist Chris Eastwood brought “Trooper”- or “Super Trooper” as Janet affectionately calls him- into her life in 2019.
The scenarios Trooper encountered in Janet’s home area and at the university included buses filled with students and backpacks, multiple lanes of traffic, bicycles, security checkpoints, metal detectors, and more. “I wasn’t in Fidelco’s life, Fidelco was in mine,” says Janet. “Trooper is so smart and considerate. For instance, he doesn’t want me to have to walk through puddles. He slows down and speeds up in response to what is around us- unlike a cane. With Trooper, I have a lot more security and a lot less anxiety.”
Fortunately, the University of Pittsburgh could not have been more accommodating when it came to Janet and Trooper. As soon as she received him, the university put together a meet and greet with Chris Eastwood in attendance to answer questions about guide dog etiquette and training. Everyone at work fell in love with him, but also gave Janet the time and space needed to get acclimated and develop a strong bond with Trooper. Janet laughs, “There are times when colleagues come to my desk, and I know they’re more interested in seeing Trooper than talking to me.”
Janet continues to keep in touch with Trooper’s Puppy Raisers, Jane and Michael Sirois, who have raised eight puppies for Fidelco!
“A lot of people had to do a lot to get Trooper to me and I am forever grateful. At least one person will stop me every day to say, ‘What a beautiful dog!’ and he really is in so many ways.”
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