Editor
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August 16 at 07:00
Lisa Halley, 27, from the Menzieshill area of the city, was in Glasgow volunteering at the Ignition Festival when she was set upon by the gang. After being abused by the unruly youngsters, including being called a “stupid blind girl”, she was then tripped and surrounded.
The attack — which left Lisa shaken — was thwarted when her beloved guide dog Jumble — her “best friend” and “hero” — started barking at the mob. An unknown man also came to Lisa’s rescue but because of her limited sight she can’t give a description of him. Lisa said that she and Jumble will be visited by a representative of Guide Dogs Scotland.
While neither of the pair was badly hurt, she said Jumble has been acting “strangely” since the incident. She added: “Jumble and I will always have a special bond that no one — including cowards — will ever break.” Lisa’s mum Gaynor said her daughter has been scared to go out alone since the incident and added that Jumble has been “strange all week”. She said: “Someone is coming down to check that the dog is OK tomorrow. “At the time, I was very concerned for both of them but Jumble seems to be getting better now.” Gaynor, also of Menzieshill, said she was confident the pair would return to their best. Lisa paid tribute to the man who came to her aid and also expressed thanks for the messages of support she has received, describing them as “completely overwhelming”. She said: “I’d really like to say thank you to the man who helped out. “When he asked if I was OK, I quickly said thank you for helping me and he walked off. “I never got to say thank you to him properly. “I am still a bit shaken up and my leg is still a bit sore but we will get there, especially with Jumble by my side.”
Speaking about the incident in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street on August 4, Lisa added: “I was terrified as they formed a circle around me — how could kids be so horrible?” A spokeswoman for Guide Dogs Scotland said: “We were very sorry to learn that one of our guide dog owners was the victim of a frightening incident while out with her dog. “Incidents like this are extremely rare and we are offering our full support.”
Source:Evening Telegraph