Guide Dog Centre

The mission of the Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind is to improve the quality of life for blind people in Israel by providing them with safe mobility, independence and self confidence through the faithful assistance of guide dogs.

Israel has over 17,000 registered blind people (although according to unofficial estimates this figure is much higher). Of these, about 200 are guide dog-assisted, but this number is growing steadily as the output of graduates from the Centre increases annually.

The Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind began operations on 1st January 1991, although guide dog training existed in Israel from 1953 to 1970, supervised by Prof. Dr Rudolphina Menzel, a psychologist and dog trainer. Sending blind Israelis to training centres in the United States partially solved the training problem after 1970, but this entailed learning to speak English.

At the Israel Guide Dog Centre the dogs are trained to respond to Hebrew commands and the applicants are instructed in Hebrew. Training costs for a guide dog, from the moment of birth until it leaves the Centre with a blind Israeli, are approximately £11,000. The blind person receives the guide dog, instruction and regular home visits during the working life of the dog – all at no charge.

JNF UK has already assisted the Guide Dog Centre with a minibus and donations towards the completion of the new centre opened in early 2005.

For more information, please call JNF or email info@jnf.co.uk.

To donate to JNF please click here