When Laci is asked if it is allowed to pet Frappe, she sits him down and allows him to. He feels that this is doing his good, as they both share their love. We visited László Göncző and his personal assistance dog, Frappe, in Hajdúböszörmény.

László Göncző and Frappe are housed at the  Baptist Action for Caring Love (BTESZ) in Hajdúböszörmény. Our guide dog team shares friendship with their fellow residents in the communal spaces of the spacious house, Laci is satisfied that everyone has their own room where they can relax and unwind. When we visited the BTESZ, we met László, who uses a wheelchair, and József, who is a senior citizen. The kindly smiling pensioner is nicknamed Papi because he is like a kind of father to Laci, trying to help his middle-aged disabled companions in everything. The residents of the home carry out tasks independently within the house, which is one of the important requests of the mission of love. The result of close cooperation is that their days are spent in an orderly and good mood. We saw that this has an impact on how they try to keep their whole lives together.

Everyone gets the most suitable service dog

Laci’s situation is made easier by having a four-legged ally. He told us that his personal assistance dog is a versatile companion, even making laundry easier by taking the wet clothes out of the machine and handing them to him.

Laci walks with two canes, slowly and carefully, because his legs allow his to do so, and on the other hand, he has to pay attention to every step he takes. He is afraid of risking a fall, because he cannot get up from the ground without help. Frappé is also prepared for this situation, she either goes to ask someone for help or pulls a chair equipped with a rope inside the house, which her owner can hold on to. Fortunately, this has not been necessary so far. Laci said that he does not want to be in a wheelchair as long as he can avoid it.

The dog is resting peacefully now, but you can feel from Frappe’s movements that she will be ready immediately if needed. Laci cannot bend down, so Frappé has a very wide range of powers. It may sound unusual, but she can be relied on for anything up to a meter from the ground. She will enthusiastically give up a dropped key, a coin, a fallen walking stick and anything else her owner asks her to do.

Personal assistance and guide dog training – provides support that improves quality of life

“The foundation trains personal assistance and guide dogs for both the physically disabled and the visually impaired persons to improve our quality of life. There is a lot of work and time invested in this. It is important that everyone gets a dog that suits their needs and personality. And the fact that we don’t have to pay for them is a special merit,” said Laci, who arranges business meetings by phone for a company in Budapest, but he would not be able to afford the price of a dog with such special skills. It was nice to hear him say that Frappé helps him a lot in making new friends, and if he has the opportunity, he tells everyone how the donation of 1% from the personal income tax is important  to our foundation.

Laci didn’t give up on helping

“I think it’s very important that a service dog can be touched when it’s not working. It’s important that these dogs are nice to look at. To that end, I often comb and groom their fur. My dog’s trainer, Emese, sets every owner up for exactly this, and Frappé is truly beautiful. When I’m asked if the dog can be petted, of course I stop, make her sit down, and let her to be petted and we exchange a few words. I feel like we’re doing something good by doing this, because we’re passing on our love. In the past, when I could, I helped people more. If I saw a flat tire, I stopped. The situation has changed since then, I have to accept this, but I can’t give up on the fact that I can help, and I believe that I’ll get it back from the heavens one day.”

After the interview, they went shopping, and we accompanied them for a while. They were already moving at a surprisingly fast pace, because Laci got on his moped and Frappé was following him on a leash. They started with the dog moving freely around a publishing house, then they reached the store through the main square of Hajdúböszörmény.

Laci moved to Hajdúböszörmény two years ago after a serious personal ups and downs, from which he managed to recover, and he is confident that he will find peace here: “As soon as we arrive and I see the beautifully maintained old buildings, this beautiful clean city, where people are kind to me, my heart beats faster.”

This year we celebrate our 20th anniversary. Over the past two decades, we have provided 222 assistance dogs free of charge.

Please support their training with 1% of your personal income tax!

Our tax number for 1% donation: 18449149–1–05

Baráthegyi Guide and Assistance Dog School Foundation

If you provide your mailing address, we will also send you our guide dog calendar for next year in the thank you letter.

The easiest way to donate 1% of your personal income tax is through the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (NTCA /NAV) online interface, via the customer portal.