14 DAY TRIAL // The blind man, Cecile Williams, saved in the subway station by his black Labrador, Orlando, was required to give up his 10-year-old canine friend because his health insurance company could not cover the cost of a retired support dog.
Orlando saved the man's life by licking him awake in time to dock from the incoming train, after he felt dizzy and fell on the subway tracks. Eyewitnesses from the subway station praised the guide dog's amazing struggle to save his owner and the emotional story made it around the world.
Despite the pain, without funds, the man couldn't afford to keep the dog that heroically saved his life, so he was willing to look for a proper new family to care for the amazing canine. Moved by his story, people from all over the country decided to pitch in and raise donations for the old man. They started using all kinds of fundraising websites and public pleas to keep the two together.
“Orlando, he is my best buddy, he's my pal,” Cecile said while recovering from the subway accident. The man told the story of his friend to the press and touched viewers' hearts enough to make them want to help. People started creating web pages with donations for Orlando and Cecile and they managed to raise almost $45,000 (€33,000), notes Daily Mail.
The dog school that trained Orlando, “Guiding Eyes for the Blind,” was flooded with public inquiries on the matter asking whether there was any way to stop Orlando from being sent to another owner. Cecile witnessed an actual Christmas miracle when he found out that warm-hearted people donated money in order for him to be able to keep his buddy.
Now, Cecile can stop looking for a new house for Orlando and enjoy the company of the hero guide dog. With the total donations gathered, he can afford to support the canine and avoid being heart-broken from seeing his best buddy go to another home.