Tali's pupils were dilated, so ophthalmologist Nancy Bromberg dimmed the lights and began peering deep into his big brown eyes. She declared them healthy a few minutes later, except for a little allergy-related irritation.
That's good news for Tali, a 6-year-old who lives in Columbia with Meg Meyers and needs good eyesight to continue working.
Sure, Tali works for back scratches and cookies, but nonetheless, he has an important job. The soft, brown field spaniel is a service dog who regularly makes the rounds as a goodwill ambassador in a residential high school for girls. He has done similar work in an assisted-living facility.
"We need to make sure they're healthy so they can help others stay healthy," said Nancy Bromberg, a veterinary ophthalmologist at SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center in Fairfax, Va., of the dogs she spent last week examining. "Sometimes we can identify minor problems and treat them, or we can identify more major problems early."
In all, Bromberg expected to see about 40 dogs from Maryland, Virginia and Washington. As part of an annual event, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists arranged for about 170 veterinary ophthalmologists around the country to offer free exams for up to 2,000 dogs. The animals aid in search and rescue, offer assistance to disabled people or give time and attention to those who just need the unconditional love of a dog.
There are an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 American service dogs, but no one really knows the exact number because there is no central registry, said Michelle Cobey, a spokeswoman for the Delta Society, which had no role in the screenings. The society connects those in need of service and therapy animals with trainers, partially though its Web site, deltasociety.org.
The dogs can't work in any field without good eyesight, but they can't tell anyone when there is a problem, said Stacee L. Daniel, executive director of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. The group started the free exam program last year, seeing about 1,500 dogs.
Most of the nation's 310 practicing veterinary ophthalmologists already were waiving their $50-$100 examination fee for service dogs, so the group decided to organize the effort to reach more dogs. The group also aims to collect useful data on problems with specific breeds or kinds of service dogs.
