The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind – IGDCB

The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind breeds, raises, trains and partners guide dogs for blind and visually impaired Israelis from all religious and cultural backgrounds. Since their inception in 1991 they have facilitated hundreds of partnerships for visually impaired and blind Israelis.

How it works

israel guide dog puppies IGDCB — Image credit: IGDCB Eli Ben Boher

Guide dogs are provided at no cost to the client. Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind provides independence and safe mobility to blind and visually impaired Israelis via guide dog partnerships. Puppies are bred and born here, raised until almost 2 months old and then placed with Adoptive Puppy Raising families for one year. Families (with the help of our Staff Puppy Managers) provide training, socialization, discipline and love.

Dogs return to the Center to be assessed at 1 year and 2 months at which time they are either accepted to the 5 month guide dog training program on campus or career-changed into the Special Needs Depot to be adopted by Israeli families with special needs.

Guide dogs can work for about 9 years and are then retired into the blind person’s family as a pet, or offered to the original Adoptive Family. Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind also have a long list of wonderful friends who want to adopt these well-deserving pensioned guide dogs.

Costs of Creating a Guide Dog Partnership

Guide Dog partnership costs are subsidized via donations from generous donors, corporations, foundations et al in Israel, US/Canada/UK and other countries. The Israeli government provides limited financial assistance to cover the cost of a guide dog partnership. Each dog’s partnership with a blind client, from birth to retirement can cost between $25K-42K.

We are the only Internationally accredited guide dog school (by the International Guide Dog Federation) in Israel and the Middle East.

Donating to the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind

The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind is supported almost entirely by donations and bequests from individuals, foundations, companies and organizations that believe in their humanitarian work and through funds raised by Bar and Bat Mitzvah students. Their assistance enables visually-impaired Israelis to enjoy the mobility and independence that only guide dogs can offer.

Donations can be made online: www.israelguidedog.org, by check, or with foreign or Israeli credit card (except AMEX and Diners) with either Israeli ID# or passport #. We will be happy to process donations by phone as well: 08-940-8213. All donors receive a receipt for their tzedakah (charitable donation).

Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind is a recognized non profit in Israel, USA, Canada and UK.

How do I go about obtaining a guide dog from the IGDCB?

The IGDCB’s English website has details regarding those who need to acquire a guide dog. www.israelguidedog.org you can also call them: +972-8-940-8213 or email them info@igdcb.org

For English and other foreign language speakers in Israel

Guide Dog Trainers and Guide Dog Mobility Instructors speak English and can train Anglo olim in English. Some of the training staff can instruct clients in Spanish and French. IGDCB use volunteer translators along with the instructors and clients who translate for Russian olim and sign language signers for deaf and blind Israelis.

Volunteering for the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind

We are blessed to have hundreds of volunteers that help us. Volunteers work in the kitchen, office, kennels, grounds, driving blind clients, conducting evening courses in yoga, sushi making etc. for clients during the domiciliary 3 week course on campus. Most of our volunteers live in the area near Beit Oved. We have some volunteer (Adoptive Puppy Raising Families) university students raising our guide dog pups at the Technion and Haifa University area but most university students raising our pups attend Ben Gurion University, Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University, IDC-Herzliya, Bar Ilan and Betzalel.

Hebrew is required for volunteers who work in other departments such as kennels, grounds, kitchen and office.

The Volunteer Coordinator interviews potential volunteers and is responsible for them email: gal@igdcb.org or call +972-8-940-8213