They stepped into each other’s lives unexpectedly, at a time when neither of them was looking for love. Their first handshake has lasted ever since — they’re already engaged. And funny enough, they’re planning their life together in Székesfehérvár as a trio. A guide dog might have something to do with that.

“We always say it was love at first handshake — for obvious reasons, not love at first sight. Just like in the movies: all he knew was that he was going to help a visually impaired woman, and all I knew was that an IT guy was coming. Then we shook hands to introduce ourselves, and for a second we both froze: ‘Whoa, who are you?’ — ‘Wow, and who are you?’ That handshake has held on ever since.” — said Zsófi Lengyel.

It’s been three years since they first met, and now they’re engaged, planning how they’ll build a life together in Székesfehérvár. They’ve just finished renovating their rental flat with their own hands — and Zsófi took part in everything, because staying still has never really been her thing. “When someone tells me I can’t do something because I’m blind, I always take a deep breath and say, ‘okay, then let’s try it right now!’ This time too, I just needed a bit more explanation and patience — which Tamás gave me — and I painted the walls perfectly.” Because of the remaining vision Zsófi has, it’s important for the flat to have strong contrasts around the door frames — and on the top of her dressing table, which she often touches while choosing from her hundreds of earrings, necklaces, and headbands. It’s unbelievable how she always knows exactly where each one is.

In the past 15 years, Zsófi has achieved some impressive results in parasport, even earning a bronze medal at the World Championships. Besides triathlon, she’s tried tons of other sports too — in fact, right before we met in March, she had just come back from a training session on a plastic ski slope.

But who was there first?

“Mokka was my first and forever love, and she always will be,” Zsófi said confidently — to which Tamás wisely replied, “That’s right, she was here first.”
And if we look at the facts: the black guide dog came into Zsófi’s life in 2020, while Tamás only met her four years later. With her usual sense of humour, Zsófi says she’d never rank who’s Love No. 1 or No. 2 — but she always jokes that Mokka arrived first, and she’s the most important in her life besides her family and her partner. Tamás feels the same way: they complement each other perfectly. “Mokka is with Zsófi all day, and I join the pack after work. We often walk around the city, we love hiking, and we adore our shared Lake Balaton swims.”

Zsófi is much more independent and free with Mokka by her side — she says that with a white cane she always felt lost — and emotionally her guide dog means the world to her. She sees herself as a caring person, whether it’s about her partner, her family, or Mokka. And you can feel in every little gesture how deeply she returns her dog’s love: “The symbiosis between us is incredible — the way we connect to each other.”

Zsófi and Tamás love their quiet evenings when they sit down on the couch, and Mokka snuggles in with them — that’s the moment everything calms down, and their little family is simply together.

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This year we celebrate our 20th anniversary

Over the past two decades, we have provided more than 200 guide dogs free of charge.

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Baráthegyi Guide and Assistance Dog School Foundation