The greatest difficulty Guide Dog users encounter is public interference—which can endanger their lives. When a guide dog is in harness it is working and should not be distracted from its job. So please do not pet the dog, call or whistle to it, or feed the dog. If the dog is resting, always ask the dog’s partner for permission to pet the dog.
A person using a white cane must find obstacles, while a guide dog simply avoids them—allowing much faster mobility. Those who choose to work with a Guide Dog often discover a new sense of freedom, an increased level of confidence, and a feeling of safety, along with the warm companionship of their new canine friend. People generally avoid a blind person with the cane; whereas, someone with a Guide Dog will [...]
Many students select us for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project, or Classroom Tzedakah Project. This is a great way for them to feel connected to a charity in Israel to help provide a Guide Dog for someone who is visually impaired, a Service Dog for an IDF soldier who has experienced service-related trauma, an Emotional Support dog for a child on the autism spectrum, or provide a four-legged best friend for disabled [...]
Prior to opening our center, visually impaired Israelis had to be proficient in English, pass a government test, and travel to either the US or the UK for a dog—that was trained in English and not accustomed to the heat or the unique conditions in Israel. Essential follow up care by staff was not possible, so having highly trained instructors just a couple of hours away is critical.
There are over 24,000 legally blind Israelis, according to government records, but the Association for the Blind in Israel thinks the number is closer to 40,000. It’s easy to understandwhy the demand for our services is so high, and why we have such a long waiting list.
The center was established in January of 1991. Our first client was Haim Tsur, a concert violinist from Jerusalem who graduated with Tillie, a Yellow Lab that was donated by Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (now UK Guide Dogs) in the UK.
The Israel Guide Dog Center maintains ownership of the guide dog from birth through retirement. Once a guide dog retires, ownership is transferred either to its blind partner or to the new adoptive family.
No, but thank you for asking. We breed our own puppies from a set of parents who are carefully screened for trainability, health and temperament. Occasionally, we will accept puppies from breeders or other Guide Dog schools whose dogs conform to our rigorous health requirements. Good genes are critical to a successful breeding program.
If you want to follow a puppy, you can join our monthly donor program and follow a puppy from birth until placement. After the dog is placed with a client, we will no longer follow the team. We give our dogs to people "with no strings attached", so our clients are not asked to provide photos or additional follow-up after graduation.
Each litter is assigned a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and the dogs are given English names, to avoid confusion so the dog will not hear its name called out while working in public spaces in Israel. In 2022 we started a program so you can name a puppy. Some restrictions apply. Click here for more information.