“It is a privilege to have Joel and Ariel here today and we thank you for taking the time to visit us,” said Delphine Ferreira, the Lions Club’s past president.
Joel Stavil, a guide dog trainer at the Guide Dog Association South Africa, visited the club with Ariel, a black Labrador in training, to teach them a bit more about guide dogs and what their training entails.
Delphine welcomed everyone and said, “Ariel is in many ways the same as a Lion – she is also giving hope to someone else.”
She gave Joel the opportunity to talk to the members, and he had them all riveted. He explained the training process to them and also gave a demonstration of how a guide dog helps a blind person. “I started training Ariel when she was approximately one year old, and have been at it for almost six months now. She is very clever and a fast learner,” he said with a smile.
He added that all the dogs he trains will be matched with the right blind person, and, before the dog goes to its new owner, extensive training will take place.
“Before the dog goes to the new owner, I will first do two weeks’ training with the new owner (before introducing the dog). Then we will do an extra two weeks’ training at the recipient’s home, with the guide dog,” Joel said.
The reason he decided to become a guide dog trainer – and keep doing it – is simple: “Every dog I introduce successfully to a new owner is very special to me. Just to see the difference in their lives is enough thanks for me.”
Joel explained that the costs involved in training a guide dog are astronomical. “We are dependent on donations, and are grateful to the Lions Club International, as well as all the other charity organisations for always supporting us, but we can always do with more donations. The total cost per guide dog – from puppy to delivery to new owner – is R150 000,” he said.
Sandy van Heerden, the District Public Relations Officer, said that the Lions Clubs have always supported projects involving sight. “Many years ago, Helen Keller challenged the Lions Club International to be knights for the blind, and we – as an association – have taken this challenge to heart,” she said.
Some of the sight projects the Lions are involved with on a regular basis include the eye clinic, Guide Dog Association SA, as well as the new sensory garden at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, which will be launched soon.
For more information on how to help the Guide Dog Association of South Africa, you can visit their website at www.guidedog.org.za.
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