As winter’s cold wind and rain set in, there’s a great excuse to go outside and get active: the Pawgust challenge. This August, team up with your dog or support a friend to raise funds for Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs.
Pawgust is a unique fitness and fundraising challenge that dares participants to walk or run with their furry companions daily throughout August. By seeking sponsorships from friends and family, you will contribute to the breeding, nurturing, and training of life-changing Guide Dogs, which provide freedom and independence to individuals with low vision or blindness.
Blind Low Vision NZ aims to raise awareness about the crucial role that Guide Dogs play in the lives of their recipients. Unlike typical pet dogs, Guide Dogs must face all weather conditions to assist their handlers. They navigate through busy streets, crossroads, e-bikes, and scooters, ensuring the safety of their owners.
While out walking with your furry companion, Blind Low Vision NZ hopes people will contemplate the role of Guide Dogs. Cultivating inclusive public spaces is a collective responsibility. Unfortunately, not everyone considers it when they leave e-scooters lying around, road signs obstructing pathways and bus stops, or e-bikes zooming by on the sidewalk.
“At least once a week, clients tell us about their struggles in navigating public spaces with ease and independence due to obstacles and lack of awareness from cyclists and scooter users,” said Andrea Midgen, Chief Executive of Blind Low Vision NZ.
“We want to raise awareness and promote the creation of environments where individuals with blindness or low vision, and their guide dogs, can confidently and independently navigate public spaces. We must prioritise the safety and accessibility of shared spaces and sidewalks for ‘everyone’.”
Breeding and training a guide dog takes almost two years and $175,000. You can help a guide dog in service by facing the cold this August and help build a world where everyone who requires a Guide Dog has one.
