Israeli guide dogs have English names so that the animals will know it\u2019s them being called \u2013 imagine, she said, if a client called out a name like Yossi in an Israeli market, for example.<\/p>\n
Klein has had Joy since the end of last October, since his first guide dog, Night, passed away at the age of 8.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a guide dog is my way to get my independence again,\u201d said the Israel Defence Forces veteran, who was injured in 2013. \u201cI can do whatever with a guide dog because I can walk alone, with no fear, and being comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Klein has serious visual impairment. \u201cI have some sight,\u201d he said, \u201cbut it\u2019s minimal.\u201d<\/p>\n
A team commander in Yahalom, a special unit of the IDF that deals with the handling of dangerous ammunition and weapons, Klein was injured in a Gazan tunnel. \u201cI was on a mission to demolish the terror tunnel that crossed into Israel,\u201d he explained, \u201cand, when we were walking in the tunnel … there was a booby-trap, and I got injured from that when it exploded.\u201d<\/p>\n
Klein moved to Canada with his wife, who is Canadian, in 2023. Noach Braun, the founder of the Israel Guide Dog Centre, personally brought Joy to Klein, where he worked with the pair for 10 days. The training period was shorter than usual because Klein had already had a guide dog. Normally, after matching a client with a dog, the pair train together for a few weeks at the centre, which then provides more training in the client\u2019s home environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like they just give you a dog and say, \u2018OK, good luck,\u2019\u201d said Klein. \u201cIt\u2019s more than that, and I think that one of the best examples is, after Night passed away, even though I was in Canada and I was supposed to go to Israel to receive a new dog, because of Oct. 7, I couldn\u2019t make it to Israel, so Noach \u2026 came here during the war. He came here with Joy and I think that\u2019s a beautiful story, to show what it means to be a part of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Derrick, who has been leading the Canadian Friends of the Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind since 2021, the centre has placed 796 guide dogs, 39 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) dogs and 442 emotional support dogs, for a total of 1,277 since its founding in 1991. In 2023, there were 176 puppies being raised by centre volunteers, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe IGDCB (as it is known in Israel) serves Israel\u2019s blind community by providing them with mobility, independence, self-confidence and companionship through the faithful assistance of guide dogs specially trained in Hebrew to meet Israel\u2019s rigorous and challenging environment,\u201d Derrick explained in an email. \u201cWe also breed and train service dogs for IDF veterans who have service-related PTSD and provide emotional support dogs for children on the autism spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canadian Friends of the Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind was established almost 20 years ago and Canada accounts for 6.6% of donations, according to its 2022 annual report. It is one of Derrick\u2019s goals to increase that amount.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always been passionate about community service and working in the charity sector, raising funds for vulnerable communities,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m a real dog person and, when the opportunity opened at Canadian Friends of the Israel Guide Dog Centre, it was the perfect match for my skills, interests and passions \u2013 helping people, Israel and dogs!\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year, Derrick and Braun visited Vancouver to visit donors and meet others interested in the centre\u2019s work. \u201cEveryone asked us to come back soon, preferably with a client and their dog, so they could see our work in action,\u201d said Derrick, which was why she came this spring with Klein \u2013 who has become, she said, since being injured, \u201ca Paralympic rower, a dedicated skier, a father and an asset to the IDF\u201d \u2013 and Joy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe visited Vancouver Island first, with a meeting in Ladysmith to meet new friends there,\u201d said Derrick. \u201cWe then headed south to Victoria, specifically Chabad of Vancouver Island. Then we moved east to Vancouver, where we met with Schara Tzedeck, the Kollel, and held a parlour meeting at the home of new friends. It was such a lovely visit, and we got to meet terrific people with whom our work really resonated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Initially, former Jewish National Fund shaliach<\/i> (emissary) to Vancouver Mickey Goldwein, his wife Lili and her dog, Zita, were to accompany Derrick on the BC visit. Unfortunately, they couldn\u2019t make the journey from Israel.<\/p>\n
Lili Goldwein was partnered with Zita in 2018, explained Derrick, \u201cbecause Lili\u2019s vision had significantly deteriorated. Mickey joined the Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind\u2019s board in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n
The need for the centre and its services has increased since Oct. 7.<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to this war, we altered the criteria for receiving an emotional support dog to provide an immediate response to those injured or suffering due to the war,\u201d said Derrick. \u201cSince then, we have provided our emotional support dogs to children and adults with special needs whom the war has immensely impacted. Some of these people fought on Oct. 7 and were discharged immediately because of the trauma they endured. Some are widows of fallen soldiers. Some have been afraid to leave the house for months.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are aware of some soldiers who have lost their vision in this conflict, and we need to be ready for them when they need us. This is in addition to the current clients on the waitlist,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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