Assistance Dog for a Child using a Wheelchair - Allschwil, Switzerland

Assistance Dogs support the Everyday life of Families with a Child using a Wheelchair by retrieving objects and relieving the Parents of many manual tasks.
For the Child, the Assistance Dog is a loyal Companion and important Friend on Four Paws.

Since 1972 the Foundation Swiss School for Guide Dogs for the Blind, has specialised in training Guide Dogs for the blind and visually impaired people. Furthermore, since 2012 they began training Autism Service Dogs for families with autistic children and Assistance Dogs for adults and children using wheelchairs.

The Foundation thus enables a more independent, mobile and confident life through an exceptional partnership with a specifically trained dog. The preferred breed is Labrador retrievers, which come from the school’s own breeding program. The training of a dog takes about two years and starts shortly after its birth. The dogs experience a loving, trust-based education with their instructors. After the training is completed, the dog is introduced to the child and the four-legged helper is integrated into the family’s everyday life.

The dog supports and accompanies the child and his family through the day, be it during school attendance, sports activities or leisure time. The child using the wheelchair is the main reference person for the Assistance Dog. Children over the age of ten can be accompanied by an Assistance Dog, who will then be their “Team Mate” for the rest of their lives.

Tasks of the Assistance Dog:
An Assistance Dog can help the child and his family with a wide variety of tasks:

  • He always walks next to the wheelchair, whether crossing the street, in public transport or during walks
  • He can open or close doors and drawers and operate light switches
  • He can help the child to get dressed
  • He barks in an emergency to signal for help
  • He can retrieve various objects
  • He can assist with transfer to bed
  • He provides additional safety when getting out of a wheelchair, or getting into the shower

The two-year training is very cost-intensive and amounts to CHF 48’000.-.

The Mon Soleil Fondazione has very generously offered to donate 2/3 of the total amount needed.

There are no subsidies for an Assistance Dog for children from the Swiss Disability Insurance, therefore the Foundation Swiss School for Guide Dogs for the Blind bears all the costs for rearing and training, including veterinary costs during the entire lifetime of the dog.

We would like to help the Foundation by sponsoring an Assistance Dog named Ilay for Lara, an 11 year old girl in a wheelchair:

  • Cost Assistance Dog CHF
  • Puppy/young dog in school (10 weeks) 5'000
  • Puppy/young dog in foster family (1 year) 10'000
  • Material delivery assistance dog 400
  • Training 300 hours 21'000
  • Examinations 500
  • Vet during training 500
  • Food during training 600
  • Introduction school & residence 8'000
  • Share of costs infrastructure/vehicles 1'500
  • Proportion of costs administration 500
  • TOTALY 48'000

Thank you so much, every amount counts!

Goal reached - Project closed
CHF 50,335 100%
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By Bank Transfer

Saanen Bank

Bahnhofstrassse 2
3792 Saanen

Account: 72.507.082.467.6

SWIFT: RBABCH22342

IBAN: CH98 0634 2725 0708 2467 6

Cura Children’s Foundation is a non-profit association registered in the Canton of Bern and recognized by the Swiss authorities (CHE-287.781.346)
We would be very happy to provide you with a donation certificate for your tax return on request: team@curachildrensfoundation.org