Cecil Williams pets his guide dog Orlando in his hospital bed
An influx of private donations has allowed a blind man and his heroic guide dog to stay together, in spite of the black lab’s impending retirement.
After Cecil Williams, 61, fainted on a New York City subway platform in December, his 11-year-old guide dog Orlando jumped on the tracks to try to save him from an oncoming train. Both miraculously survived by lying flat in the space between the tracks. “[He] gets me around and saves my life on a daily basis,” Williams said.
Since Orlando was nearing retirement, Williams thought he would have to part ways with his pet in January after his insurance stopped covering the dog’s costs. The people of the Internet, however, didn’t let that happen. Fundraising campaigns on the websites Indiegogo and Gofundme were launched, both with the intention of raising enough money to keep the two together, CBS reports. The two pages raised $80,000.
Williams will get a new, young guide dog in January, but he and Orlando will be able to live out their retirements together.