Ágota Lukács has been assisted by four guide dogs over the span of 30 years, each of them helping her grow into the adult she is today. Few in our community possess such deep experience, which is why we are delighted that she shared her thoughts with us ahead of International Guide Dog Day.

Ágota says it is difficult to pick just one story from three decades of life with dogs; therefore, she decided to first describe the “mission” itself, and then explain the life stages in which her dogs served their secret missions by her side.

A Full Life, But in a Completely Different Way

“The mission of a guide dog is different for every owner. Of course, they are born, they grow up, they are trained, and they become capable of assisting with navigation-which, in itself, restores a huge slice of our independence and freedom. But something more happens when a trained guide dog is paired with its owner.

In fact, that is when the hardest part of the dog’s life begins. Their owner is a blind person who has limitations, unlike their previous raisers and trainers. Certain things are either provided differently within the family, or the dog must go without them: for example, communication through eye contact, certain sports, games, or specific ways of moving and traveling (such as running alongside a bicycle or car rides).

Despite this, the dog’s life remains full-just completely different. It is a different kind of relationship (a bond of reciprocal love, service, and gratitude), a different form of communication (based more on touch), and different life situations (as a service animal, they are almost always with their owner). It is also important to note that unlike other working dogs, they work and hold their ground right in the thick of the moving, rushing crowds of society. Often, they act even more wisely than their owners, but this comes with a significant mental load that we, as owners, must be aware of.”

A Vital Life Stage for Every Dog

“The almost indefinable ‘secret mission’ stems from this special dog-owner relationship. Guide dogs always improve their owner’s quality of life. They motivate the owner to go out more, to care for someone, and to be responsible for another living being. This is often a vital force that encourages us to keep moving forward when we face a loss-whether it’s the further deterioration of eyesight or the loss of a family member.”

Each of Ágota’s four guide dogs played a vital role in a specific chapter of her life:

Blackie (1996-2005): “A black female German Shepherd was my first guide dog. I started my adult life with her, I learned how to be a ‘dog person’ through her, and she was a huge help when I lost my mother.”

Berry (2006-2013): “The world opened up more with Berry. I traveled a lot and started going to work, where this black male Labrador led me.”

Vacak (2013-2022): “I experienced the loss of my father and the feeling of being left alone with Vacak. With him, the world truly felt like mine; to this day, my strongest spiritual bond is with him. He was a yellow Lab-Golden Retriever cross.”

Olivér (2022-Present): “Olivér, a yellow male Lab, has been with me since 2022. Since he is still active, I can’t summarize his mission in hindsight yet, but I can say that his unique personality (and I’m being very diplomatic here) is teaching me even more patience, composure, and humility-traits that are never a disadvantage.”

Ágota lives in Tiszajenő with Olivér.

This year we celebrate our 20th anniversary. Over the past two decades, we have provided more than 200 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.

The opening photo shows Ágota and Vacak.