28/10/2022
Michael Xerri, who is visually impaired, has just returned from a visit to the Lions Club guide dog school in Milan. He was accompanied by two Lions Club Sliema officials, George O. Attard and Alexander Arena.
They were welcomed in Milan by officials from the Lions Club Bosco Marengo Santa Croce. The Italian Club coordinated the internal transfers in Italy. Michael described the visit as a “lovely experience”.
On the first day, he was given a fully trained guide dog, Shaggy, to enable the school to assess his level of training in handling a guide dog. The guide dog trainer was impressed with how well he got on and they had to rush to keep up with their pace.
On the second day he underwent a thorough, one-hour psychological test to establish whether he had accepted his visual impairment. He was then taken to an area of the school, which is the size of two football pitches and includes apartments for people such as Michael who need to go for assessment and training, where there is an obstacle course.
He was asked to go through the obstacles first with his white cane and then with Shaggy.
On the third day he walked from the school to a shopping centre to assess his ability to navigate in public spaces.
A spokesman for the Sliema Lions Club said Michael will need to make a second trip to the guide dog school once he has been matched with a guide dog in the coming weeks or months. He will undergo training with his dog in a variety of locations outside the school that resemble his local surroundings and busy urban settings, including using public transport.
Joseph Stafrace, Chairman of the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation, who went to welcome Michael and the two Sliema Lions on their arrival at Malta International Airport, thanked the Lions Club Sliema, the Lions Club Bosco Marengo Santa Croce, MIA and Air Malta for their support of this initiative.
