Our guest speaker this meeting was Wendy Lucas from the Royal Society for the Blind. She was accompanied by Zali a golden retriever cross dog. Zali was trained to be a guide dog but failed the loud and sudden noise part of her training so was not able to work with a person in need.

 

The RSB Assistance Dog program changes the lives of people in need every day. The service changes the lives of people who are blind or vision impaired, children with Autism and people with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

RSB Assistance Dogs accompany their owners everywhere, including on public transport and in shopping centres, cinemas and restaurants. They are trained to carry out a range of tasks aimed at reducing anxiety as well as being a friend and companion while participating in daily activities.

 

It cost $30,000 to train an assistant Dog. People from all walks of life can volunteer to become a puppy educator. People wanting to become trainers can attend information sessions that are held regularly throughout the year. If you would like to know more about this service  call the RSB Guide Dog Service on 8261 4121 for more information.

 

A successfully trained dog stays with its recipient for 9 years when it is then retired from its work. In most cases the dog stays with the person and becomes a companion to the new dog that replaces it. Otherwise it goes to people who love and care for it in its retirement.

 

We all enjoyed the talk and enjoyed the opportunity to make friends with Zali as well.