PSS Spring '11  Partners Against Crime  Celeste Lopes '80 and
her guide dog navigate the streets of NYC  by Dominic Moore '05
and Catherine Williams  Lopes, who is visually-impaired, has
been teamed with guide dogs for more than 30 years. "It's like
you can read each other's' minds. If the partnership is a good
one, it's intuitive and anticipatory. But it also takes a huge
amount of trust."  He knows upwards of 180 words and understands
complex concepts like 'find.' Nine times out of 10, he can find
the nearest Starbucks or an empty seat on a subway. He works
long hours every day, commuting from Long Island to Brooklyn.
And he's also, Celeste Lopes '80 says affectionately, "a bit of
a spoiled brat."  The spoiled brat in question is an 80-pound
Labrador retriever, Lopes' guide dog who pilots her through the
crowded streets of New York City. The dog, whose name she won't
reveal so that strangers can't distract him, is her sixth.
Lopes, who is visually-impaired, has been teamed with guide dogs
for more than 30 y