Ron Colombo's face lights up and he throws his hands up in glee at the thought that his quality of life will take a giant leap forward when he gets his guide dog in three months' time.
"At the moment, I am taking risks wherever I go. I cannot see the kerb and now and again, there's an 'undisciplined' lamppost that gets in my way," he sighed.
With a guide dog, the 68-year-old, who has poor eyesight - he is blind from one eye and has one-tenth vision and a cataract in his 'good' eye - will become independent.
"The comfort of being mobile is fantastic," he enthused.
Mr Colombo, chairman of the non-profit Malta Guide Dogs Foundation, has for the past year been working hard to introduce the first guide dog service on the island. There is only one other guide dog in the whole of Malta, owned by a man who lives in Gozo.
One of the Labrador puppies being trained as a guide dog failed the test, and the second one has to undergo a final assessment - only 40 per cent of puppies qualify as guide dogs.
His hard work is finally reaping sound results: A guide dog school in Croatia is donating a brood bitch, which will allow the foundation to start breeding its own prize guide dogs; two trained guide dogs will arrive from Slovakia in December; and another school in Messina will be providing two more dogs and two scholarships for trainers.
"Realistically, it will be about three years before we have locally bred and trained dogs," he said.
Mr Colombo feels a bit uncomfortable that the first guide to walk the streets in Malta will be his, but the Messina school is giving him the puppy as a gift. However, he is comforted by the fact that the dog which the Dorloc Trust, in the UK, was sponsoring for him will now go to another person.
The foundation estimates it needs 45 to 50 guide dogs, a number that would give a new lease of life and independence to blind people or those with impaired vision.
Mr Colombo explained that in Malta there are 730 people with sight problems who are registered and receiving benefits. However, if one takes into account the number of people with acute sight impairment, the figure would rise to 3,000.
Guide dogs are an expensive business, with each one costing some €10,000, and the foundation is encouraging companies, associations and even individuals to sponsor a guide dog.
"The guide dog could sport the sponsor's name or logo on the dog's harness," he said.
Another project the foundation is working on is to start providing a mobility and orientation course for guide dog trainers, a two-year programme which will start with the first two-week module in October.
This is being funded through a grant provided by the Social Solidarity Ministry.
The foundation is also hoping to find financial support to fund a mobility and orientation service for all the Maltese who are visually impaired, a service that does not yet exist on the island.
"Sadly, several people who lose their eyesight lock themselves inside their house. This programme would help them get familiarised with their home, their neighbourhood and teach them how to use a white stick. This is fundamental for a person's rehabilitation process," he said.
"We would need some €25,000 a year for the next two years to be able to provide this course, but we are always hopeful," he said with a smile, adding that the foundation has managed to get this far with very little money.
Mr Colombo expressed his gratitude to Happy Paws Charity, which is funding all its vet expenses, and Air Malta and Gasan, two companies that are supporting their cause.