Seven specially-trained dogs are now ready to enter the working world.
On 29 June the South African Guide-Dogs Association had cause to celebrate when a number of the dogs that the organisation has helped raise, care for and train, finally graduated and became working dogs. Six of the graduates are now paired with a visually impaired person to help them lead a full and independent live. The seventh animal is a service dog who has been paired with a disabled person. The event took place at the Gladys Evans Training Centre in Paulshof and was attended by supporters of the organisation and those involved in raising and training the animals.
“The guide dogs graduating today have been trained in excess of two years to get here,” explained Vernon Tutton, the executive director of the non-profit organisation.
“The puppy raisers spent many hours training the animals.”
On the day, the puppy raisers, who care for the dogs for the first 18 months or so of their lives and do basic training with the animals, symbolically handed over the dogs to their new owners. A brief introduction of the dogs and the people they will now help was given before Joel van Stavel, a guide dog mobility instructor, gave the new owners the official harness that the dogs will wear while working.
The recipients came from across the country and were as follows:
- Ben the black Labrador guide dog was paired with Christo Zeelie, who is a first-time guide-dog owner and lives in the Eastern Cape.
- Victor the golden Labrador guide dog was paired with Deon van Huysteen, a first-time guide-dog owner who lives in Pretoria with his wife of 42 years and has two grandchildren.
- Bessie the black Labrador guide dog was paired with Gail Cillie, who lives in Port Elizabeth and who has owned one guide dog before Bessie. Cillie was excited to receive Bessie, as her first guide dog gave her a lot of independence to travel both locally and overseas.
- Brooke the golden Labrador guide dog was paired with Hanif Kruger, who has never owned a guide dog before and who lives in Queensurgh KwaZulu-Natal.
- Wexsi the golden Labrador guide dog was paired with Susan Webber, who lives in Pretoria and has had three guide dogs before Wexsi.
- Serina the golden Labrador service dog was paired with Shevon van den Berg, who lives in Potchestroom with her husband and two sons.
- AB the golden Labrador guide dog was paired with Mark Colegate, who also lives in Queensburgh Kwa-Zulu Natal with his wife and two children and has never had a guide dog before.
“Three of us here [graduating] are first-time guide-dog owners, and with these dogs we hope to experience travel and independence,” Colegate told the audience when he was called to speak on behalf of the graduating class.
“This is only possible because of Vernon [Tutton] and his team. A special thank you to the puppy raisers, it took courage to raise the dogs and then give them to us.
“Sometimes the words ‘thank you’ are not enough, but I have no other words, so thank you again.”
The Guide Dogs Association will be hosting a Family Fun Day on 28 July, and members of the public are encouraged to attend and support the organisation. For more details, please visit the SA Guide Dogs Association Facebook page.
Related article:
