In 1928, a young man named Morris Frank stepped off a ship from Europe with a German Shepherd named Buddy by his side. A few years earlier, two separate accidents had robbed him of his sight—and with it, his independence. But now, something extraordinary was about to happen.
Just weeks before, in Switzerland, Morris had trained with Buddy under the care of American dog trainer Dorothy Eustis. Buddy wasn’t just a companion—she was a guide dog, trained to help someone navigate the world without sight. One of her most amazing skills was “intelligent disobedience”—she would refuse a command if it might put Morris in danger.
On June 11, 1928, they gave their first public demonstration on a bustling New York street. With trucks rumbling by and horns blaring, Buddy safely guided Morris across. Crowds stopped and watched in awe. 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, the first guide dog school in the United States. Since then, over 14,000 guide dogs have been trained, each one opening the door to independence for someone with vision loss.
Morris worked 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.