Community
GUIDE DOGS
AIS want to make a difference to the community we live in. Each year AIS and our staff sponsor the training of a guide dog which ultimately helps the vision impaired in our community.
Both AIS and our staff individually contribute to the costs of training a guide dog each year.
Guide Dogs Victoria helps blind and vision impaired people to travel their own life journey with a sense of safety, fulfilment and independence by providing a comprehensive range of mobility services to individuals aged from 5 to 95 years.
Mobility training services include Guide Dog Mobility, Orientation and Mobility, Children’s Mobility, Acquired Brain Injury Mobility and Occupational Therapy.
Operating since 1957, Guide Dogs Victoria’s services are provided free of charge to blind and vision impaired people right across Victoria and with less than 9% government funding, your support is vital in the continued provision of these programs.
Because the criteria are so complex only around 50% of trainee guide dogs pass their test after a years intensive training. The training is intensive with essential criteria necessary to ensure the personal safety of the future vision impaired handler.
Our sponsored dog in 2009 was Robbie; born October 2009. All of us at AIS are really thrilled that he passed his assessment so he will go on to become a Guide Dog. He is now in the formal training stage – he will soon become a professional working guide dog.
Robbie’s final assessment included a week’s temperamental assessment during which the instructors note the dog's reaction to different situations that are common in many environments such as distraction to other dogs or cats or food.
Everyone at AIS is delighted with Robbie’s progress, we are very proud to be associated with Guide Dogs Victoria and encourage you to consider supporting this outstanding organization. The picture here (on the left) is of Robbie at 14 months of age.
Angus is the puppy AIS funded for training in 2008. He was born on 6th October 2008. Here is a photo (on the right) from December 2008.
AIS continues to fund the raising of a puppy each year for their first 12 months, after which they will enter the formal Guide Dog training program.
If you would like more information or to contribute to this worthwhile cause, click on the link www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au