Many thousands of people can celebrate a success in our country rooted in Miskolc: the 50^th Baráthegyi guide dog has passed the traffic safety exam on April 15, in Bács-Kiskun County.

A Labrador called Maximus is the 50^th guide dog since the regulatory requirements were introduced in 2009 who demonstrated before the Examining Board of the Hungarian Therapy and Assistance Dogs Association (MATESZE as abbreviated in Hungarian) as a Baráthegyi guide dog that he had acquired the necessary skills. Our foundation has been training and providing guide dogs to the visually impaired applicants since 2006. Baráthegyi Foundation has become a unique place for domestic guide dog training in many respects: our specialists have trained about half of the professional guide dogs working today in Hungary and the training is assisted only here in our country with a rehabilitation specialist dr. Tamás Mezősi.

The traffic safety exam is the final step for the dog to become officially a guide dog. It is a long-term work both for the trainer and the future owner – learning and efforts with failures and difficulties for both people and dogs. Perseverance results in a special power that brings a new era in the life of people with visual impairments.  The special connection formed between man and dog opens the door to the visually impaired – to travel with strength and self-confidence.

Guide dogs are responsible for the life of a person in the course of their duties. Without the cooperation of man and dog, there is no success. József  Király and Maximus demonstrated this cooperation and unity yesterday in Bátya, near Kalocsa.

On the exam the couple demonstrated in front of experts that they can travel on means of public transport, walk in the city and get about safely in other everyday situations. To prove this, Maximus will also receive a certificate that in a guide harness he carries out his work. We wish them further successful cooperation!

The successful examination of the 50^th guide dog is a celebration for thousands of people in our country: sponsors, volunteers, visually impaired people and the staff of the foundation – all those who support the work of Baráthegyi Guide Dog School or do for the visually impaired people with their expertise. It is also the celebration of those whose life is changed thereby.

You can find information about other supporting options here – together we can do more for the visually impaired!