“For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven…”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Now is the time for sadness and mourning…
The news from Israel has been devastating. Our Israel Guide Dog family is suffering as we watch the news, hear of loved ones who were slain or taken hostage, cope with deployments, deal with the instability of taking emergency shelter, and attend funerals.
Today, it hurts to share that our friend and client, Dor Shapir, was killed along with his partner, Savion Kiper, at the music festival in Israel. Dor’s service dog, Doris, is safely with us at our campus in Beit Oved.
His memory will be a blessing for his family, friends, and the entire Israel Guide Dog Center family.
But it is also the time for strength and resilience…
In these challenging times, the Israel Guide Dog Center continues supporting those in need.
Supporting Our Clients
The staff has checked in with all clients, and we are now helping them as best we can. We’ve had to temporarily cancel in-person classes at the Center and are providing remote or in-home support. In this way, we can train our blind and visually impaired clients to work with their new guide dogs as we had intended.
Supporting Our Puppies and Puppy-Raisers
We currently have over 170 puppies being fostered throughout the country. Most of our volunteer puppy raisers are university students, and 75% have been called up to reserve duty. We are re-homing these puppies so they can continue to receive their essential socialization and training.
Many have been dropped off at the Center, and we will continue to care for them until appropriate families are found for them to move to. The staff have rehomed all puppies in the south of the country to various safer locations.
Currently, we cannot deliver free dog food to many of these families, so dog food vouchers have been sent by staff to the appropriate puppy raisers. We are coordinating with local veterinarians (for each foster family’s location) to provide necessary vaccinations, which we are currently unable to provide. The Centre is covering the cost of these outsourced vaccination services.
We know that this generation of puppies will grow to become the guide and service dogs guiding Israelis injured in this current conflict. We are doing everything we can to support their growth and training as we work against the challenges we hope will not hinder our ability to prepare them for their crucial mission.
Our Campus
Our campus in Beit Oved, which is at capacity with puppies and dogs, is directly between Gaza and Tel Aviv, and many rockets are flying overhead. We have shelters on campus where our team can seek safety.
Giving Back
The Center is an important part of the fabric of Israeli society, and we are compelled to help the broader Israeli community. Our staff, volunteers, and puppy raisers have already ventured into the community to visit displaced families for “Puppy Love Encounters.”
As dog lovers know, the unconditional love of a puppy is invaluable, and you can see it yourself in this picture of our puppy, Willi, visiting children from Ofakim.
It is also a time for our international friends to stay connected…
You can support our ongoing efforts to help Israel and Israelis by making a donation.
We will continue to send updates by email. More content, pictures, and videos can be seen on Facebook and Instagram.
Thank you for your kind friendship, generous support, and continued thoughts and prayers.
Shabbat Shalom,
Atarah Derrick
Executive Director
Canadian Friends of the Israel Guide Dog Center