Morris and Buddy

By: Doris Ettlinger and Becky Hall

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Synopsis: Morris Frank lost his sight in 1924, when he was only sixteen. But it wasn't just his sight that he lost--he lost his independence too. Morris didn't want to be led around by a paid helper or find work making brooms, as was expected of blind people then. He wanted to lead a normal life. One day in 1928, Morris's dad read him an article about Dorothy Harrison Eustis, an American dog trainer living in Switzerland. She had been training dogs for police and army work, but had recently visited a German school where dogs were taught to help soldiers who had been blinded in World War I. Thrilled with this new possibility, Morris set off on his own to Switzerland to meet with Dorothy Eustis and her head trainer, Jack Humphrey. Morris had big ambitions--not only did he want to learn how to work with a guide dog, but he also wanted to start his own guide dog school in America! Morris began training with his dog, Buddy. While he struggled--stepping on Buddy's paws, not paying attention to her cues, and even walking into a gatepost--Buddy waited patiently at his side, allowing him to learn. At last Morris felt ready to return to America with Buddy at his side. But his biggest adventure still lay ahead--founding the Seeing Eye, an organization that has trained thousands of dogs to help other blind people lead independent lives. The Seeing Eye is still in existence today and continues to provide dogs and lifetime training to qualified people.