The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind began operations on January 1, 1991 with just one objective -- to help blind people in Israel to achieve independence and mobility through the use of guide dogs.

At present, there are more than 130 of our graduates throughout Israel, all being safely guided by our trained dogs. Over 40 puppy raising families raise our puppies. Litters from the Center's twelve brood bitches provide the major source of puppies. A professional staff of six handles all training and instruction. Noach Braun, the Director of the Center, is our Senior Guide Dog Mobility Instructor and is assisted by Guide Dog Mobility Instructors Rafi Taglicht and Yael Columbus and two apprentice dog trainers. Orna Braun is Kennel Manager and Puppy Raising Supervisor responsible for the breeding quality of the puppies and their placement with over 40 Puppy Raisers.

From 1953 to 1970, Prof. Dr. Rudolphina Menzel, a psychologist and dog trainer, prepared guide dogs to assist blind Israelis to become more independent and lead as normal a life as possible. There was no one to continue this work at the time of her death in 1970 and Israel was left with no guide dog training center, but with many blind Israelis, both civilians and war veterans. Sending blind Israelis to training centers in the United States solved the problem.

But this was a very partial solution. Only blind Israelis who could understand and communicate in English were sent to guide dog schools in the United States for instruction. Many, unable to comply with these criteria, could not participate and simply never received a guide dog. Even the lucky ones who received a guide dog from overseas found that if a problem with the guide dog arose later on, there was no one to provide the follow up (after care) service so vital to a successful "Partnership" (blind person and dog). The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind was established to fill this need.

Advantages of guide dog training in Israel

• The dogs are trained to respond to Hebrew commands and the applicants are instructed in Hebrew.
• The dogs are trained to guide in Israel's physical environment and maneuver around typically Israeli obstacles such as bus-stand posts or streetlights in the middle of sidewalks; concrete barriers at street corners or cars parked half on the sidewalk and half on the road.
• The applicants find the instruction course much less stressful, because during the three weeks of instruction at the Center's Beit Oved campus, may receive visits by family and friends.
• An additional part of the instruction course involves time spent helping each applicant acquaint his new guide dog with the home and work place environments.
• Domiciliary instruction (home training) can be arranged when appropriate.
• Aftercare assistance is just a phone call away. Any questions the guide dog user may have about his dog's performance can easily be answered, as the instructor is readily available.
• Visits are made every six months or more often when requested.

How does the Center operate? We begin with puppies, most of which are bred by the Center's twelve brood bitches. At two months of age, the puppies are placed with foster families who raise the pups during their first year. The puppy raisers receive instruction during regular visits by the Puppy Raising Supervisor. This includes becoming accustomed to traffic movement and noise, sitting quietly for periods of time, and generally becoming acclimated to as many typical everyday situations as possible. Conditioning the puppies to a wide range of activities such as going to work, shopping at malls or supermarkets, visiting friends, dining at restaurants or traveling on a bus prepares them for their further training as guide dogs. Although the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind supplies the dog food and pays the veterinarian expenses, the puppy raiser donates time, effort, love and care. Puppy raisers are vital to our work, and are deeply appreciated.

At the age of one year, the dogs are returned to the Center for five months of training. During this time, the dogs learn all that is necessary to prepare them for guiding their blind companion. They also learn "intelligent disobedience" which is to disobey a command if there is danger, such as a car coming around the corner, even though its master gave an order to proceed. Finally, a suitable match is made with a blind Israeli, who receives instruction in working together with the guide dog. As much as eight to ten years of safe mobility can be enjoyed from such a partnership.

Training costs for a guide dog, from the moment of birth until it leaves the Center with a blind Israeli, are approximately $18,000. The blind person receives the guide dog, instruction and regular home visits during the working life of the dog at no charge.

Where do the funds come from? The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind is a registered non-profit organization supported almost entirely by donations and bequests from individuals, and by foundations, companies and organizations "with vision" that believe in our humanitarian work. Their assistance allows us to continue and develop our work, and provide blind Israelis with a chance to enjoy freedom, safe mobility, and independence.

Israel has over 17,000 registered blind people, although unofficial estimates place this figure much higher. Of these, about 200 are guide dog assisted, but this number is growing steadily as the number of graduates from the Center increases annually. Currently, over 130 working partnerships (guide dog and user) have been instructed and have graduated from the Center.

First-hand impressions are the best ones. For a blind person, "seeing" is believing in his guide dog. For the rest of us, seeing the Center is believing what can be achieved with help from our wonderful friends. If you would like further details, or would like to visit us at our Beit Oved campus, just a 20 minute drive south of Tel Aviv. We'd love to hear from you.

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