Leehi and Sony in London (Photo: Israel Guide Dog Centre UK)[Missing Credit]
“As soon as I got Sony, things changed,” Leehi said. “Now, she comes with me everywhere I need to go – to the supermarket, the bus station, and now here to the UK. She is nearly always at my side, and I feel I can do almost anything again.
“I trust Sony totally. We have such a strong relationship. She has given me my confidence back.”
While in the UK, the pair visited some of London’s best-known tourist attractions, travelled on the Tube, spoke at a synagogue and a primary school, and visited the headquarters of several communal organisations.
With Sony’s support, Leehi also delivered the keynote speech at Israel Guide Dog Centre UK’s annual reception, helping raise funds for the organisation to be able to match Israelis in need with guide dogs, PTSD service dogs and emotional support dogs.
Leehi and Sony with Carmel Reiss (right), co-CEO of the Israel Guide Dog Centre, outside King's Cross (Photo: Israel Guide Dog Centre UK)[Missing Credit]
As Sony’s first time out of Israel, it took her a little while to acclimate to the change, said Leehi.
“She definitely knows we’re somewhere else,” Leehi said. “I think she noticed the weather as soon as we got off the plane, and it took her a day or two to get used to the time difference and eating two hours later than normal.
“She’s very excited to be here though. She’s seeing lots of new things, like squirrels. She loves the squirrels.”
Leehi speaks at a synagogue with Sony, her guide dog (Photo: Israel Guide Dog Centre UK)[Missing Credit]
Lisa Marlowe, mother of Jake Marlowe, a British Israeli who was murdered on October 7 at the Nova festival, was recently made a Board member of Israel Guide Dog Centre UK.
Speaking at the reception, Lisa said that enough funds had been raised to rear three new Israel guide dogs: Jake, Marlowe, and Woody – the latter named in honour of the weekly Borehamwood vigils for the hostages.
Now, thanks to money raised at a Manchester Bake for Jake event run by the Jakey M Project, there will be a fourth dog, called Heaton, in memory of Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, who lost their lives during the terrorist attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester on Yom Kippur 2025.
