top of page
  • Chris McMillan

They aided the blind, now who will accompany these aging guide dogs?

Shine


20th August 2020


They aided the blind, now who will accompany these aging guide dogs?

by Hu Min


After many years of faithful service, two aging guide dogs are looking for warm-hearted owners who can take care of them in their twilight years.


Fang Yun (female) and Ta Zhang (male) are both 14-year-old Labradors, and both have assisted visually impaired humans for almost a decade. Since their retirement, they've been waiting nearly four years for someone to adopt them.


They were among the first batch of guide dogs which started service in Shanghai back in 2008. Some of these dogs remain with their service persons; others have died. At present, only Fang Yun and Ta Zhang are without homes.


They've been staing at the Shanghai Guide Dog School in Pudong New Area for four years, as their owners could not accommodate them after they retired. Their days at the school are mostly spent resting.


Fang Yun served a visually impaired person for eight years until he started moving slower when climbing stairs and became short of breath when walking. With these health problems, he was taken out of service. Ta Zhang was also retired due to age and poor health.


Most retired guide dogs are either fostered by their service persons, adopted by the families who assist in their training, or return to training centers for adoption, said Zhu Jun, a teacher at the school.


https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2008204546/

2 views

Recent Posts

See All

China Daily 27th November 2023 Hospital train brings hope via surgery By Wang Xiaoyu Doctors perform cataract operations to improve the lives of people in isolated areas. Wang Xiaoyu reports from Korl

RTHK 30th November 2023 'Kids with mental health issues need outside help' Chinese University researchers on Wednesday urged people to seek help as soon as possible if their children are suffering fro

bottom of page