Paws for empowerment
On International Guide Dog Day, challenges faced by guide dog users highlight ongoing struggles for the visually impaired community, Meng Wenjie reports.
The Dalian center, founded in 2006 by Wang Jingyu, a professor at Dalian Medical University, operates as a nonprofit organization. It is the first guide dog training facility on the Chinese mainland.
Over the years, the center has trained about 400 guide dogs, with more than 350 currently serving in 27 provinces and cities nationwide.
Despite these achievements, Wang said that China has over 17.3 million visually impaired individuals, nearly three times the population of Dalian.
"Many people express interest in guide dog training, but few stay committed," Wang said. He explained that the training of a guide dog at the center demands a minimum investment of 210,000 yuan ($28,992), but the dogs are provided to visually impaired individuals free of charge.
Currently, the main funding for the Dalian center comes from governmental aid and contributions from social organizations. Dalian Medical University also provides free facilities and utilities. In 2008, the university established a guide dog volunteer association, engaging young student volunteers to support the center's daily operations.
"We currently have over 800 members, with an average age of 20," said Hao Shuting, the president of the Dalian Medical University Guide Dog Volunteer Association.
Hao, 19, explained that in addition to assisting with the center's daily work every week, they also organize various activities to raise awareness about guide dogs.
For example, during the summer vacation of 2023, a group of volunteers went back to their hometowns and displayed signs supporting guide dogs to passersby in busy locations across the country. They then shared these photos on the school website.
