In the Gard, the association Guide Dogs for the Blind is looking for beneficiaries

Remise du chien Tahiti à Lola, habitante de Vauvert, dans le Gard, au mois de juin 2024. – Association Les chiens guides d'aveugles de Paca

L’association cherche à se faire connaître dans le département du Gard pour aider les personnes non ou malvoyantes à retrouver leur autonomie et leur mobilité.

"“It is only in the Gard where we cannot find beneficiaries,” says Jean Bergogne, administrator since 2020 of the association Les chiens guides d'aveugles de Provence Côte d'Azur Corse (Paca). By beneficiary, we mean “a person who is blind or partially sighted“. The association, created in 1966 in the Alpes-Maritimes, has the mission of improving the autonomy and mobility of people affected by this type of disability. This involves in particular the education and the provision of a guide dog to that of an electronic aid such as canes for example.

"We realized that, in the Gard, there was a lack of awareness of our association so we are trying to make ourselves known", explains Margaux Passeri, head of communications. The French Federation of Associations and Schools of Guide Dogs for the Blind, of which we are a member, tells us that people are turning to Toulouse." This may seem counterintuitive, but the Gard department is part of the Paca association's intervention zone, not that of Toulouse. "In addition, there is a guide dog training center in Lançon-Provence, which is much closer than the one in the Alpes-Maritimes. It's much more practical“, adds Jean Bergogne.

A complete free service for the beneficiary

The dog's education begins at the age of one, after having lived for several months in a volunteer foster family. “During the week, he is at school and on the weekends, he returns to his family“, explains Margaux Passeri. At the end of the training, the dog passes a certificate of aptitude for guiding, “a sort of baccalaureate“. If he passes, he can be awarded. She continues: “For the beneficiary, everything is taken care of. To give you an idea, between food, veterinary costs, training and follow-up, a guide dog costs 25,000 euros,” explains the communications manager. This sum is entirely financed by donations and legacies.

"People wishing to be accompanied or helped must make a request,” adds Jean Bergogne, administrator but also the association's representative for the Gard.

A future guide dog for Alès and the surrounding area

Locally, two years ago, the association gave the dog Rio to Éric, a resident of Alès. This year, Tahiti became the guide dog of Lola, a resident of Vauvert.

Read also: Alès: "Much more than an aid, Rio is a daily companion" says Éric, visually impaired

"In the Gard, in total, we have ten dogs, which is not many", specifies Margaux Passeri. There will soon be another one thanks to sponsorship by the various Lions clubs in and around Alès: Alès femina, Alès vallée des Gardons, Alès passion, Alès doyen, Portes des lumières in Saint-Hilaire-de-Brethmas, Hautes-Cévennes in Saint-Ambroix and the Lions club Le Vigan-Ganges. Within two years, the dog will be trained. “All that's missing is the beneficiary“, concludes Jean Bergogne, also looking for volunteers to help him promote the association.

More information: Website of the Association Les chiens guides d'aveugles de Paca here. Contact in the Gard, Jean Bergogne: 06 72 74 86 85