Golden fur, golden heart

On a crisp November morning in downtown Coeur d’Alene, Ben Straughen stepped onto the street just outside the crosswalk. His companion, Pablo, immediately guided him between the white lines.

Pablo is a 15-month-old yellow Labrador/golden retriever mix with a lifetime of special training.

Ben Straughen of Rathdrum is blind.

After meeting for the first time in October, Pablo hasn’t left Ben’s side. They’re a team.

“He’s completely out of his element,” Ben said of Pablo, who traveled with him all the way from Michigan last week. “I’m the only thing he knows.”

Pablo came to Ben from Leader Dogs for the Blind, a guide dog training school founded in 1939 by members of Lions Club International.

The two were brought together after the Rathdrum Lions Club connected them.

“Growing up, I always had eyesight problems,” Ben said.

As a teenager, he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder that causes vision loss. Onset of symptoms is generally gradual.

“It was going downhill faster and faster as I got older,” he said.

Ben was told that he would lose his vision by the time he was 20. Now 32, he retains 10-15 percent of his central vision, but his sight has deteriorated too much for him to work the oil field job he’d had for years.

Upon losing his sight, Ben returned to a skill he’d developed years ago: building and repairing small motors. It used to be a hobby and a way to earn a little money on the weekends. Now it’s become something more than that.

“When my eyes started going, I realized that’s one of the things I can still do,” he said. “I know where all the bolts go.”

Ben began building engines again, purely by touch. His wife, Sheena, said he asks for help only when he’s dropped a screw on the ground and can’t find it—a testament, Sheena said, to his independent spirit.

Sheena recalled some of her husband’s fears about losing his sight — missing out on seeing their three children, being unable to watch family movies or do other things he loves, like hunting and fishing.

“He still wants to be that man,” Sheena said. “Having this dog is going to help him so much to get out there and continue doing those things.”

Pablo is trained to find curbs and help Ben navigate them. He stops in front of obstacles and pauses when the terrain is uneven or unsafe. He’s even trained to notice overhead objects, like tree branches. Indoors, Pablo can guide Ben toward doors and chairs.

“He pulls you around him and lets you figure out what the terrain is and what’s around you,” Ben said. “He stops so you can feel around you and figure out why.”

Pablo is also trained to listen for cars.

“He gets me across roads safely,” Ben said.

Dogs like Pablo are valued at $35,000, which the Straughen family couldn’t afford. That’s where the Rathdrum Lions Club came in.

The Lions Club is no stranger to community service, providing eyeglasses and hearing aids for those who can’t afford them, as well as vision and hearing testing for elementary school and home school students.

The club also provides free firewood to families who need help with heating and helps to feed approximately 200 elementary school students per year through their Nutritional Weekend Backpack Program.

Still, getting a guide dog for Ben was a major undertaking.

“We’ve never done anything quite this big,” said Rathdrum Lions Club member Lonnie Morse.

The club coordinated with Leader Dogs for the Blind. From there, Leader Dogs worked with Ben to determine his needs and match him with the right dog.

Pablo turned out to be the perfect fit.

Ben spent 27 days in Rochester Hills, Mich., where he trained and bonded with Pablo.

“If it wasn’t for the Lions Club, none of this would’ve happened,” Ben said.

In the hopes of giving back to the group that’s helped their family so much, Ben and Sheena have joined the Lions Club.

“He’s already helped us with projects,” Lonnie said. “He’s very strong with his wife by his side.”

Ben said he encourages other people with vision loss to contact the Lions Club. People who are at least 16 years old, legally blind and mobile may qualify for assistance from Leader Dogs for the Blind.

“It’s a way to get back your freedom,” Ben said. “It’s life-changing.”

Trust is a crucial element in the relationship between Ben and Pablo. It will take about a year of working together and getting to know each other before they’re considered a seasoned team.

“If you don’t take that leap of faith and trust that he’s going to take care of you, like you are him, you’re going to lose,” Ben said.

In the meantime, Pablo is already becoming part of the family. Keeping the kids from petting Pablo can be a challenge, Ben said with a laugh. But the transition has been smooth.

“It’s like he was meant to be there,” he said.

Rathdrum Lions Club: (208) 777-5157