It’s all in a day’s work for Eric and Cooper
Mr Mack, who lost his eyesight due to a freak accident, is never one to let his disability get him down.
Margate Extension three resident, Erick Mack and his guide dog, a yellow male Labrador, called Cooper, have become a familiar sight in Margate and Port Shepstone.
Mr Mack, who lost his eyesight due to a freak accident, is never one to let his disability get him down. He has been blind for the past 35 years after an oxygen bottle exploded blinding him.
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The 65-year-old is involved in several projects, which keeps him busy and more importantly brings in an extra income. One of his daily jobs involves travelling from Margate to the Port Shepstone motor and vehicle registration office.
One can only wonder at how he achieves all of this. Well, its all down to his trusted guide dog Cooper, who Mr Mack received from the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind (GDA) in Johannesburg on September 2.
The walkabout
“I take a taxi with Cooper from Margate Extension Three, Louis Botha and Tedder Avenue to Margate taxi rank. I get off on Nelson Mandela Drive in Port Shepstone and walk-up Wooley Street to the motor vehicle registration department. Once I’m done with the licensing department, Cooper takes me to the Port Shepstone taxi rank, through all the traffic safely, to the Margate Extension Three taxi lane. Once at Margate taxi rank, I deliver all the licensing papers and when we are done Cooper takes me back home up Watski Drive to Louis Botha. I have been doing this job for the past 15 years, and would like to thank everyone for their kindness to me and my guide dogs” said Mr Mack.
Guide-dogs
Back in 2001, with the help of social workers, Mr Mack got onto the waiting list at the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind and received his first guide dog Enzo, a Labrador/Retriever. Enzo worked extremely well with Mr Mack, but after eight years he became too protective over him.
“No one was allowed to come near me. When this occurred, the GDA placed him on retirement to a family in Southbroom.” In 2009 Mr Mack received his guide dog Gambo, a Labrador.
Sadly Gambo succumbed to cancer on August 26, 2019.
Grateful
“I would like to thank the Mizpah Church men’s breakfast fellowship who supplied my bus fare to the GDA in Johannesburg. I would also like to thank the Guide-Dog School for Cooper’s training and for bringing him home to me.”
He expressed gratitude to his sponsor for Cooper’s dog food, Doctor Leon Bruggemann of Margate Vet Hospital and the public for their support and kindness. “Remember Cooper is new at what he is doing, and I would like the public to be calm with him,” requested Mr Mack.
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