14/09/2025
Frank Morris's world was a place of profound darkness. A boyhood accident took his right eye, and a decade later, a boxing match claimed his left. The vibrant world he once knew was gone, replaced by a deep and frustrating dependence on others. His spirit, once so free, was now confined.
Then, in November 1927, a glimmer of light broke through. His father read him an article by an American philanthropist named Dorothy Eustis, who ran a school for working dogs in Switzerland. The words painted a picture of hope—of guide dogs being trained to lead blinded World War I veterans to freedom.
Those words ignited a fire in Frank's soul. He sat down and wrote to Dorothy, not just for himself, but for every person trapped in the same darkness.
His plea was filled with a promise:
“Is what you say truly real? If so, I want one of those dogs! And I’m not the only one. Thousands of blind people like me hate being dependent on others. Help me, and I’ll help them. Train me, and I’ll come back with my dog to show how independent a blind person can be. We could even start a center here to give many people a new chance.”
Dorothy, moved by his courage, agreed. Frank traveled to Switzerland, where he was introduced to a beautiful German Shepherd named Kiss. He renamed her Buddy. Their journey began not just as a training exercise, but as the slow, careful building of an unbreakable bond. Frank learned to trust, and Buddy learned to guide. Within weeks, they were a perfect partnership, moving through the village as one.
In June 1928, Frank and Buddy returned home. In New York, Frank decided to put their trust to the ultimate test: crossing a busy, chaotic street. Stepping into the deafening noise, he placed his faith entirely in his four-legged friend.
“She forged ahead into the deafening noise, stopped, backed up, and started again. I completely lost my bearings and put my full trust in her. I’ll never forget those three minutes: ten-ton trucks whizzing by, taxis honking incessantly, drivers yelling at us. When we finally reached the opposite sidewalk and I realized how extraordinary she had been, I leaned down, hugged her tight, and told her how good she was.”
It was more than just a walk; it was a moment of profound liberation. With a single word, Frank telegraphed his triumph back to Dorothy: “SUCCESS.”
That success became a promise fulfilled. In January 1929, Frank Morris and Dorothy Eustis founded The Seeing Eye, America’s first guide dog school. What began with one man's courage and one dog's love blossomed into a beacon of hope for thousands.
Buddy passed away in 1938, but her spirit lived on. Frank named every guide dog he had for the rest of his life "Buddy," a beautiful tribute to the first dog who had shown him the way to independence.
Today, in Morristown, New Jersey, a sculpture called The Way to Independence stands as an eternal monument to their story. It depicts Frank Morris, his hand resting on the head of his beloved Buddy.
"Help me, and I'll help them," Frank had written to Dorothy so long ago. He kept that promise. After finding his own freedom with Buddy, he dedicated his life to ensuring that others could experience the same life-changing partnership. The Seeing Eye stands as a monument to his determination and their love—a place where hope takes the form of a wagging tail and a pair of guiding paws, just as he had dreamed.
Their story reminds us that the greatest freedoms are often found not in grand gestures, but in the unwavering loyalty and profound trust that fills a once-darkened life with light.
We Are Human Angels
Authors
Awakening the Human Spirit
We are the authors of 'We Are Human Angels,' the book that has spread a new vision of the human experience and has been spontaneously translated into 14 languages by the readers.
We hope our writing sparks something in you!
