Costa Blanca

The work of ONCE guide dogs is explained to the people of Benidorm

The public was shown how these animals are utilised to become essential components of blind people’s safety and autonomy during an exhibition hosted by the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation (FOPG) in Benidorm yesterday, Thursday 27th March.

Under the theme “Much more than a dog,” the nearly 1,000 participants, who came from various Benidorm educational institutions and the general public, watched as these animals performed a variety of obedience and focus exercises alongside mobility instructors Rafael Almansa and Eloy Aranda. They were accompanied by Tibor, a black Labrador, and Dior, a sable-coloured German Shepherd.

Guide dog users from Alicante, María Luz Menéndez and Moisés Moreno, described their everyday lives with ORI and ODRI, respectively, and both demonstrated on a circuit how the training process works so that the dogs can overcome obstacles, go up or down stairs, cross zebra crossings, look for doors, or stay in a cafe or in any kind of transportation at the feet of a blind person.

Antonio Pérez, the mayor of Benidorm and president of the Alicante Provincial Council; Enrique Llin, the president of the ONCE Territorial Council in the Valencian Community; Estela Medina, the director of ONCE in Alicante; and Francisco José Muñoz, the councillor for Public Space, Public Works, Accessibility, and Mobility of Benidorm, who wore an eye mask and experienced firsthand what it’s like to move without seeing, along with an ONCE guide dog.

The proper way to act around a guide dog

In addition to reviewing some guidelines for how to act around a guide dog, attendees had the chance to learn about the various phases a dog goes through to become the eyes of a blind person, including rearing, socialisation, training, everyday life, and retirement.

The first of them is that dogs should not be given any food since they may have a food intolerance, which could lead to digestive issues that could impair their health and well-being and interfere with their ability to help the blind person they are with on a regular basis.

They also reminded everyone that when walking with a blind person, which they are happy to do, it is crucial to avoid diverting the dog’s attention. This demands their focus to keep them safe.

Another piece of public advice is that people who own companion dogs should always keep them under control by their side and not let them go if a guiding dog is around.

Though it’s crucial to respect their work when guiding and save play and greetings for when they’re not wearing a harness, guide dogs also enjoy lots of downtime and leisure time.

Additionally, keep in mind that you should never tug on the dog’s leash or harness when giving instructions to a blind person. Just move away from the dog and approach them, ideally from their right side.

The legal right of guide dog owners to enter any locations, spaces, businesses, and public transportation in Spain with their dog was also recalled; this is a fact that occasionally creates issues because of public ignorance.

Over 3,700 canines have been given by the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation in its nearly 35-year history, and almost 1,000 of those dogs are currently strolling through our nation’s streets and villages with an equal number of blind people. Thirty of the 84 guide dogs in the Valencian Community—the eyes of the blind and visually impaired—live in Alicante. Every year, about 140 animals are supplied.

Strolling Together

The integration of blind persons into society is one of ONCE’s top concerns. This work is founded on three pillars: employment, social and cultural interactions, and personal autonomy.

In order to address this, she established the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation (FOPG), following the lead of North American and European guide dog schools. Its current facilities, which are located in Boadilla del Monte (Madrid), provide all services, including canine training and instruction, boarding, breeding, and puppy care, as well as a veterinary clinic, a shelter for retired dogs, and a training user housing.

The most popular breeds are German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers, which are hypoallergenic crosses between Golden Retrievers and Giant Poodles. Like all of the services that ONCE provides to its users, this one is free. Depending on the animal’s developmental stage, training lasts 18 to 20 months before the animal is delivered to the user. In addition to dog trainers and teachers, foster families offer to socialise the puppies during the training process.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Related Topics:Alicante Benidorm Community Council Health Housing Madrid Mayor Mobility People Public Social Spain

Up Next

Abducted in Elche for a €90,000 debt

Don't Miss

Texas, Guitarricadelafuente, Travis, Jethro Tull and Kool & the Gang to play Alicante

Click to comment

Costa Blanca

Missing Persons Association searching for Stiven, 26, who disappeared from Elche

The SOS Missing Persons Association has issued an urgent alert concerning the disappearance of Stiven Manrique Penagos, a 26-year-old man who vanished on April 18, 2025, in Elche, Alicante.

Stiven is of typical build, stands at a height of approximately 1.70/1.72 metres, and has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Due to his vulnerability, they have prioritised his disappearance, and they are requesting public assistance to locate him as soon as possible.

The organisation is urgently looking to hear from anyone with any information of his whereabouts.

If anyone has information regarding his whereabouts, please contact info@sosdesaparecidos.es or call 649 952 957 and 617 126 909.

Regarding SOS Missing Persons

Sosdesaparecidos is a non-profit association established in Caravaca de la Cruz that collaborates in the dissemination of information about missing persons of any age whose families do not know what happened or where they are.

The goal of the 32 men and women on the SOSdesaparecidos team is to assist families by utilising their personal and professional experiences.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Costa Blanca

Alicante TRAM collected 2,494 lost objects in 2024

Last year, Alicante TRAM passengers lost a total of 2,494 objects, which the Valencian Railways (FGV) collected. This data suggests that passengers abandon an average of seven artefacts daily and 208 objects monthly. These objects are stored at the stations for a minimum of one month and for an additional month in the lost property storage facility at Luceros station. The Alicante Local Police then receive the items if their proprietors have not claimed them after this period.

Wallets and purses, keys, backpacks, documents (ID, passports, driving licences, health cards, etc.), mobile phones, spectacles, folders, umbrellas, and handbags are the items that are seen on trains and trams in Alicante and its metropolitan area the most frequently.

October (442), January (393), November (378), June (366), March (308), April (303), August (296), July (291), May (286), December (276), February (263), and September (199) were the months in which the most items went missing, proceeding with the division by season.

The recovery of an object by its owner while it is registered with FGV amounts to 929, or 37.25%, thanks to the protocols established by FGV for the management and safekeeping of lost objects. The remaining percentage is either handed over to the Alicante Local Police or taken to a recycling centre or green point if the objects are clearly worn or deteriorated.

The time required to retrieve an item is contingent upon the presence of any identifying information or the customer’s claim. When there’s identifying information or a customer’s claim, we often recover the item the same day it goes missing, especially if it’s valuable.

Steps to be taken

In the initial phase, lost property is dropped off and picked up at the stations served by FGV personnel before being transferred to the central office at Luceros station.

After one month, the items are collected and transported to the lost property facility at Luceros station to attempt to identify their owner, deregister them for recycling based on their condition, or deliver them to the Alicante Lost Property Office after an additional month.

They promptly hand over official documents, such as passports and ID cards, to the authorities to determine their owner, then destroy bank cards to mitigate unnecessary risks and prevent tampering. Customer service personnel conduct follow-up and minor investigations to ensure their return to the police.

Amazing objects

In addition to the previously mentioned items, there are several remarkable items that it’s hard to imagine users would overlook. These items include bicycles, scooters, suitcases, crutches, walking sticks, laptops, tablets, baby strollers, shopping carts, motorcycle helmets, portable refrigerators, toiletry bags, umbrellas, hair dryers, X-rays, prescriptions, medical reports, a construction shovel, a shower telephone, and even a toilet seat or fire extinguisher.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Costa Blanca

Firefighters rescue hiker after fracturing her leg in fall in Dénia

Members of the Provincial Fire Consortium rescued a 40-year-old woman on Monday, April 21st, on the climb to Cova del Aigua in Dénia after she fractured her leg in a fall while hiking.

The alert was received at around 12:48 p.m., and an Alpha 01 rescue helicopter and the Special Rescue Group (GER) were dispatched to the scene, the Consortium said in a statement.

Since the woman was at a point where the ambulance could not reach due to the terrain, the rescue helicopter was activated with the GER.

Once located, the officers disembarked from the helicopter and brought her back to San Vicente Park, where an ambulance was waiting. The operation ended at 4:04 p.m.