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Best friend’s changed her life

Lauren PilatStirling Times

Macey has given Ms Dilley the confidence she needed to become more independent and active.

Macey is her guide dog and together this month they graduated from a Babbingur Ceremony, where a guide dog begins its life with its handler, hosted by Guide Dogs WA.

Ms Dilley has a rare eye condition called Peters Anomaly, a disease preventing the eye from forming properly, causing blurriness and headaches.

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The 22-year-old said she didn’t have any depth perception either, so she couldn't see stairs going down.

"Macey has changed my life so much; I have gained not only a guide dog, but a best friend," she said.

Ms Dilley and Macey underwent intensive orientation and mobility training at Guide Dogs WA in Victoria Park and home, working in several locations to learn the skills they needed to travel safely in different types of environments.

Ms Dilley said she found the experience challenging but extremely rewarding.

"Macey has given me the confidence to go out and about," she said.

"I know that Macey has my back, and I have hers.

"Macey gives me the confidence to go to the shops, because she knows her way around and knows the routine of what to do and where to go, to avoid walking into people which helps me so much.

"She is my best friend and our lives will never be the same again."