Guide dogs are also needed for people injured at the ATO

October 23-25. ​​in Uzhgorod, there was All-Ukrainian Forum "Theoretical and practical aspects of guide dogs use in Ukraine", organized by the All-Ukrainian public organization "National Assembly of Disabled of Ukraine" and Uzhgorod city public organization of visually impaired "Dyvosvit."

The Forum brought together representatives of public organizations of visually impared persons from all regions of Ukraine, dog trainers, lawyers, and all who care for the normal life of people with visual impairments. If last year, they addressed the question – "Guide dog – luxury or necessity?", at this year’s forum this question was not raised. Guide dog is a necessity! Especially, since nowadays, thousands of our citizens are defending our homeland, have been wounded and maimed, some completely lost their sight. They are especially in need of guide dogs, the head of Uzhgorod city public organization of visually impaired "Dyvosvit" Oksana Bohdanets says.

So, the team of experts who gathered this year in Uzhgorod, during the forum, studied the demand for guide dogs for blind people, defined requirements for applicants for guide dogs, and discussed mechanisms of issuance, replacement and return of dogs, conditions of their keeping and mechanisms to compensate for the cost of keeping and veterinary care of dogs.
The result of the forum was the adoption of the resolution and the letter to the President of Ukraine, the Government and the public with specific practical suggestions for implementation of such rehabilitation means as guide dogs.

This is the second such event in Uzhgorod. Last year, there was an international information seminar, where visitors could learn from the experience of Hungarian and Romanian specialists in training and use of guide dogs. Then, a blind woman from Mukachevo received a certified guide dog.

.