This article first appeared on http://ridekc.org and is reprinted here in part with their permission.
Dogs are affectionate in so many ways.
They jump on you and lick you when you get home from work. They play ball in the yard. They’re companions on walks in the neighborhood. And they’re great snugglers.
But for Robbie Makinen, chief executive of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, a dog is all that and so much more.
Robbie’s dog, Loki, opens the world to him. Blind since 2013, Robbie decided this year to get a service dog that would give him the independence to move around more easily.
“Loki allows me freedom,” Robbie said. “That freedom is the ability to get out of my house at night and walk around my neighborhood. It seems like nothing, but it’s a big deal.”
Robbie, who lost his sight when the blood flow to the optic nerves shut off, had been reluctant to get either a cane or a service dog. Eventually, he relented.
Trained by retired Army Rangers, Loki is as much friend as service dog.
Named after the crafty, trickster god of Norse mythology, Loki just turned 2 in July. Loki may be playful and carefree at home with Robbie’s kids, but at the KCATA he’s on the job.
At work, Loki is always at Robbie’s side. He lies next to him in his office in the Breen Building. He accompanies him to City Hall. He’s with him when he dines out.
Sometimes – much to Robbie’s chagrin – Loki grabs all the love.
“He’s always the center of attention. People think he’s beautiful,” Robbie said. “He gets the royal treatment wherever he goes.”
Read the complete article at http://ridekc.org/blog/guide-dog-gives-kcata-chief-executive-freedom
