The university's Department of Pharmacy has welcomed a new addition – Beau, a guide dog to telephone operator and receptionist Joey Micallef, who lost his sight in a traffic accident in 1992.

Beau, a two-year old male champagne Labrador Retriever was designated for guide dog training since birth on June 6 two years ago in France.

At four months he was brought to Malta to train and later, while his future master and friend Joey was being trained locally in mobility and orientation, Beau spent another six months training in Messina at the Centro Regionale Hellen Keller dell'Unione Italiana Ciechi Scuola Cani Guida.

When Joey and Beau met, they trained together for another two weeks. The training of both dog and owner is co-ordinated by The Malta Guide Dog Foundation and sponsored by the Community Chest Fund.

Beau received a warm welcome at the department and is now continue to expand the meaning of therapy, allowing the department to practice what it teaches in terms of holistic health concepts.