Suomen Lemmikkikoti Oy begins a new operation: guide dog training.

Suomen Lemmikkikoti Oy begins its seeing-eye dog services September 1, 2011 and the center of the operation will be in Lemmikkikeskus (pet center) Viiksi in Kurkimäki, Kuopio. It will provide seeing-eye dogs to Finland and its surrounding areas for the legally blind. In addition to up-to-date training and seeing-eye dog tests, holiday and recreational services will be provided.

Suomen Lemmikkikoti Oy will get the seeing-eye dogs from civil breeders but will also provide them themselves. Racing, training, and delivering the seeing-eye dogs are done by the recommendations of the Kansainvälinen Opaskoiraliitto (International seeing-eye dog union). The work will be done from Lemmikkikeskus Viiksi and Hotel Jahtihovi located in central Kuopio. Jahtihovi will be the center of training in Kuopio and it will also provide additional services.

The staff is being educated by the standards of Kansainvälinen Opaskoiraliitto and the Nordic. The hands-on operation will be provided by Juha Herttuainen who’s been in the seeing-eye dog field as seeing-eye dog and their users since 1972. In addition, he’s also been a chief trainer and seeing-eye dog school manager of Näkövammaisten keskusliitto (The Union of Legally Blind) in Vantaa. New ways of training will be implemented in the operation. Juha Herttuainen’s experience in the field makes it possible. He says that it is great to have a new start with a new staff.

Health care law states: the right to move independently and receive preparatory training and other services should be provided to legally blind people. Opaskoirapalvelu Viiksi offers that to them. The services are also available for insurance companies’ clients. The co-operation in the surrounding areas are improved with Karjala in Russia and the Baltic countries. The membership of the Kansainvälinen Opaskoira liitto will be applied for when possible.

Hotel Jahtihovi partcipates in the operation by providing hotel packages such as theater tickets, cruises from Kuopio harbor, sports events, and hiking in Puijo and the surrounding areas. Hotel Jahtihovi is located in central Kuopio with an easy access to Väinölänniemi beach area, harbor, market square, and train station. Hotel Jahtihovi has participated in seeing-eye dog events for years and there have only been good things to say about the hotel.

There will be a support group established for Opaskoirakoulu Viiksi. Its purpose is to provide services, and support research and training. The support group supports and furthers voluntary work and makes the project known for media. The most important associates for the operation will be voluntary workers such as the care families for puppies and breeding dogs, and helpers in events and trail practices in seeing-eye dog users’ home surroundings. Nothing could be done without them.

Suomen Lemmikkikoti Oy