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 personal experience of the guide dog masters in working with a service dog and how this has changed their lives. During the open lecture, the audience also observed the help provided by the budding assistant dog Elfa to her mistress, Baiba, a lady with impaired mobility. If everything goes well, Elfa will be the first professionally trained and registered assistant dog in Latvia.

After questions from students and lecturers, everyone went to watch the training session for guide dogs, where the dogs not only demonstrated their skills at warning their masters about approaching staircases, tram tracks and pedestrian crossings, but also guided a visually impaired person along his required route.

At the end of the event, the organisation thanked the service dog foster families, presenting diplomas of gratitude to those whose dogs have already entered service, and flowers to those families that currently looking after puppies who will hopefully grow up to be service dogs.

It is worth remembering that a puppy can only go on to become a guide dog after it has passed the relevant exams and received a certificate. Until then, the dog is just a future guide dog or assistant, because not all puppies succeed in becoming professional service dogs who are allowed to work in this field.

The TEODORS service dog organisation extends its deepest gratitude to the RSU management team for its support in helping to organize the open lecture, to the Latvian Red Cross for its good wishes on International Guide Dog Day, and to all the service dog trainers for their patience and perseverance in training the dogs and their masters. We would also like to expend our sincerest thanks to the following media outlets for their help and support: Delfi, LNT, LETA, the “Lauku Avīze” website veselam.lv, the Latvian Health website medicine.lv and to “Apeirons”, an association representing people with disabilities and their friends.