09/16/2025
In 1928, a young man named Morris Frank stepped off a ship from Europe with a German Shepherd named Buddy at his side. Just a few years earlier, two separate accidents had taken his sight—and with it, his independence. But now, something extraordinary was about to happen.
Only weeks before, in Switzerland, Morris had trained with Buddy under the guidance of American dog trainer Dorothy Eustis. Buddy wasn’t just a companion—she was a guide dog, trained to navigate the world for someone who couldn’t see it. One of her most remarkable abilities was “intelligent disobedience”—she would refuse a command if it could put Morris in danger.
On June 11, 1928, they gave their first public demonstration on a busy New York street. With trucks rumbling past and horns blaring, Buddy guided Morris safely across. Crowds stopped and stared. A reporter wrote, “The crowd stood amazed. A blind man crossing the street alone.”
That single crossing became a turning point—not just for Morris, but for thousands of others. Later that year, Morris and Dorothy co-founded The Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey, the first guide dog school in the United States. Since then, over 14,000 guide dogs have been trained, each one opening a door to independence for someone with vision loss.
Morris kept working with guide dogs for the rest of his life—and every one of them was named “Buddy,” in honor of the first. Because sometimes, the right partner doesn’t just guide you forward—they change the world with you.
