About the Centre
The Israel Guide Dog Centre is dedicated to improving the quality of life of blind, visually impaired and disabled people. We provide them with mobility, independence, self-confidence and companionship through the faithful assistance of guide, emotional support and PTSD dogs specially trained in Hebrew to meet Israel’s rigorous and challenging environment.
Founded in 1991, we are members of the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International and operate the only internationally accredited guide dog programme in Israel.
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The UK contribution to the Israel Guide Dog Centre
On the 25th October 1993 the British Friends of the Israel Guide Dog Centre for the blind was created and a Trust deed was signed and entered onto the UK Charity Commission list of registered charities on 3rd November 1993.
The original Trustees were Anthony Krais, Joe Rubin, David Fluss, Stuart West and Raymond Keene. Anthony Krais was elected as the Chair of Trustees and took it upon himself to begin fundraising for the Centre in the UK.
On the 10th March 2020 a new CIO was registered with the UK Charity Commission and the Israel Guide Dog Centre UK was launched to take over the fundraising and awareness activities of the British Friends.
Today the Israel Guide Dog Centre UK provides around 15% of the total budget of the Centre in Israel. These funds are provided by generous individuals, family Trusts and other Jewish organisations in the UK who all share a passion for helping blind and disabled Israelis.
The Israel Guide Dog Centre training programme
A guide dog works with the blind or partially sighted person and that is why we call it a partnership. The partnership help each other to navigate through the day.
We carefully screen our dogs to find the best behavioural traits and genetic matches to create long-lasting partnerships. We primarily use Labradors, Golden Retrievers and crosses between the two, but occasionally also use German Shepherds.
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Our history
The Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind began in the 1980s as a dream of a young paratrooper in the Israel Defence Force. After leaving the army, lifelong animal lover and military dog trainer Noach Braun decided to make it his life’s mission to establish a guide dog school in Israel.
In 1990, Noach and his wife Orna, took the first steps to establish this by inviting a single blind person to their home to learn to work with a guide dog that Noach had trained. In 1994, with the help of donors from the US, UK, Netherlands and Israel, Noach and Orna purchased a plot of land and two caravans and the Israel Guide Dog Centre was born.
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