Baiba Baikovska Member, Service Dog Teodors Association On October 15 we celebrated our tenth anniversary. A lot or little? Some would say a lot, others little. We would say that during this time, we changed at least 15 lives and won’t judge whether that is a lot or a little, because, going forward, we haven’t time to judge. On this day we say thanks to: potential service dog foster families, without whom dogs wouldn’t properly be raised to become someone’s second set of eyes, arms, Lasīt tālāk [...]
On Saturday, October 5th, a very significant event occurred – the International Guide Dog Competition. Six guide dog owners with their four-legged assistants from Finland, Estonia and Latvia met for a long, responsible day. All participants, guests and volunteers met in the attractive Torņakalna church, in their large and well-lit rooms. The prettiest decor of the day was the sun and golden fall. It truly was one of the nicest gifts from nature that day. While the busy worker bees – event Lasīt tālāk [...]
A brief look back at the training camp for increasing the skills of service dogs in the countryside (16–18 August this year in Līgatne) A refreshing breath of fresh air and sensations in the midst of our rusty daily lives is how Rinalds describes this camp. For me, this camp will live in the memory with its heartfelt and friendly atmosphere, with people so very extremely well-suited to their vocations – trainers and rehabilitation specialists. Such were the resultant feelings that they are Lasīt tālāk [...]
Rehabilitation worker Anastasija Pereļota’s impressions of the training camp in Ligatne on 16–18 August 2019 It’s a long, long time since I spent such meaningful and valuable days. Days not devoted to work or housework, but to my soul. The opportunity to take part in the training for service dog holders organized by the Service dog association TEODORS, as well as for their companions – dogs and people, that is, relatives or assistants, was like a gift to me. The best rehabilitation Lasīt tālāk [...]
Just a few weeks have passed since the dancing and singing ended at Latvia’s most beautiful celebration - the Song and Festival Celebration. Each subsequent celebration is more colourful, vivid and resonant. © The Latvian Society for the Blind, 2018 A few years ago, it would have been unimaginable that visually impaired people would participate in this event. Now we can be genuinely be truly proud that the world has become much more accessible to such people and not just physically. We Lasīt tālāk [...]
During its five year history, the service dog association TEODORS has trained eight guide dogs and one assistance dog, which, pursuant to Latvian legislation, are registered by the Agricultural Data Centre (ADC). Bearing in mind that a service dog’s skills deteriorate over time, it is vital to occasionally refresh and augment them. Since these dogs are entrusted with keeping a person safe and even alive, for more than a year now, the TEODORS organization in Latvia has been testing and certifying Lasīt tālāk [...]
A year ago, the Chairman of our service dog association TEODORS, Aleksejs Volkovs  lost his best friend, guide dog Teodors. We would like to train and deliver a new guide dog into his care in time for Christmas! Please help us to make this festive gift come true! A year ago, we received the sad news that our first guide dog, who gave the organisation its name, had suddenly fallen seriously ill. The vets did everything in their powers to save him. Right until the end, everyone hoped that Teodors Lasīt tālāk [...]
This year, on 16th of July, it was the third anniversary of my working relationship with my guide dog Feja. On September 23rd, we’ll celebrate the dog’s fifth birthday. Yes, it was exactly three years ago that, as a first group invalid, I received a guide dog trained by Service dog association TEODORS. I must admit that the presence of a guide dog at my side marked the start of a new period in my life. Unquestionably, I started a much more mobile and active life. Time flies and therefore I’d Lasīt tālāk [...]
To mark International Guide Dog Day on 26 April, the Service dog association TEODORS organised a public lecture, "People and Service Dogs". Guests attending the lecture learned about the organisation’s contribution to the service dog movement in Latvia during its four years in operation, and about the fruits of this work- six professional guide dogs, who have taken tests, passed exams and obtained a guide dog certificate. The audience attending the lectures also had the chance to learn about the Lasīt tālāk [...]
On Saturday, 1 October, Riga hosted an international guide dog competition. The competition featured pairs of competitors from Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The Latvian team was represented by Līga Ķikute with her dog Rīga and Viktors Sergejevs with his dog Neira. This time, the competition was organised by Latvia in the form of the Service dog association TEODORS and its trainers, members and volunteer helpers. Throughout the day, all the participants were provided with snacks and hot drinks, Lasīt tālāk [...]