Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have to depend totally on someone or something to complete daily tasks?

Quilloe Cooke, a transfer student from Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, N.C., is one person who knows.

Cooke has a high profile on campus because he has a guide dog, whose name is George.

George is a 100-pound Labrador Retriever/Golden Retriever “Goldador” mix. Cooke calls him his “big teddy bear.”

Cooke’s experience of having to depend on others began 12 years ago, five years before he met George.

Cooke lost his sight at the age of 21 as the result of a 1990 automobile accident.

“If I recall correctly, I had been invited to a party that night, but I had decided not to go,” said Cooke.

“The female I was dating at the time started an argument, and I’m not the type to stand and argue with someone. I decided to go to the party,” Cooke said.

Cooke did not make it to the party. While driving there, he came to a stop sign that was partly obscured by a rose bush planted in front of it.

Cooke missed the stop sign, and was hit by a drunk driver. Cooke said that he was fine when he left the hospital, but shortly afterwards he got lost in his backyard, and his family knew something was wrong.

Cooke explained that there were blood vessels that were continuously forming and bursting in his eye, causing him to lose sight.

“After six surgeries, the doctors said there was nothing they could do,” said Cooke. “I miss my sight a lot. It’s frustrating to know that you used to be able to do something at ease, and now you have to take time and calculate.”

Cooke met George when George was “graduating” from Southeastern Guide Dog Training School in Palmetto, FL in 1995.

They bonded there for a month, and Cooke took George back to his new home which was then Orange, NJ.

Cooke explained that there were training schools that were closer to his home, but being approved for a guide dog can get complicated, especially for Cooke because of another disability.

“I’m not only blind, but I’ve had a hearing defect since age two,” said Cooke. Other schools would not approve him for a dog because of this.

Cooke said that George has been very helpful in increasing his mobility. George is all work and no play when he has his gear on, which includes a harness and a leash.

But the first thing George wants to do when Cooke removes his gear is play. Cooke does not find playing with George difficult because he’s always been around animals.

“We had many pets growing up,” said Cooke, “Dogs, cats, I even got a snake one time to irritate my brother. My mom made me get rid of it.”

Cooke said that he and his “big teddy bear” have a special bond, which is evident when they go out in public.

However, he wants to remind people that George is not just a cute pet – he has a job to do.

Cooke said it is important that people do not pet guide dogs unless the owner says it’s okay because that could confuse or distract the dog.