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.

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

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Costa Blanca

Consum announces the opening of new stores in Aldaia, Alaquàs, Sueca, Xàtiva, Massanassa and Torrevieja

Consum expands its operations in the Valencian Community and announces the opening of additional stores in six towns throughout Valencia. The Valencian cooperative’s comprehensive network of supermarkets in the region is further enhanced by these new openings.

New Consum stores are scheduled to open in Valencia in 2025

The following are the new stores that Consum will establish in the towns of Valencia:

Alaquàs

Aldaia

Massanassa

Sueca

Xàtiva

Torrevieja (Alicante)

Three of the stores that were acquired from Kuups last year have enabled the establishment of some of these new supermarkets. These have already been assigned an estimated opening date:

Massanassa (C/ Medi Ambient), which is scheduled to commence operations at the conclusion of May.
Alaquàs (Av. Blasco Ibáñez) and Aldaia (Av. Miguel Hernández) will launch under the Consum brand in the middle of the year.
Consum intends to maintain its pace of establishing 53 new supermarkets in 2025, including 18 of its own stores and 35 Charter stores, as well as to execute 31 renovations and expansions.

In 2024, Consum achieved revenues of €4,707.03 million, a 7.3% increase, and profits of €108.7 million, a 7.5% increase from the previous year. These figures substantiate the business model advocated by the Valencian cooperative, which is founded on price competitiveness, a diverse selection of leading brands without sacrificing the quality of its own brand, and a steadfast dedication to ensuring customer savings through discounts and gift vouchers. More than €62.2 million has been allocated to this initiative.

Antonio Rodríguez Lázaro, the CEO of Consum, stated that “these results are indicative of the dedication of our entire team, the confidence of our customers, and our capacity to adjust to change while maintaining our commitment to sustainability and innovation.”

It maintained its sixth position in the national classification of distribution companies by surface area throughout the year, increasing its market share by 0.1% to 4.7% of the national market. Nielsen reports that its market share by sales in its area of influence is 13.45%.

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Costa Blanca

The El Raso, Guardamar celebrates with a Tapas Route and concerts between May 15th and 17th

The programme for the third edition of the Guardamar del Segura City Council’s festivities has been unveiled in collaboration with the residents’ association of the El Raso Urbanisation, an area that is home to a significant number of international residents.

Between May 15th and 17th, the El Raso Urbanisation will commemorate its festivities with a Tapas Route and concerts. The festivities will take place on Thursday, May 15th and Friday, May 16th, and will feature an International Tapas Route featuring twelve establishments, which is two more than the previous year. María Venerdi, the Councillor for Festivals, has announced that participants will be able to experience tapas and a drink for 3.50 euros. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a drawing for a variety of rewards and vote for their preferred tapa on the “Tapaporte.” Last year’s edition saw the sale of over 7,000 tapas, as emphasised by the local organisers.

José Luis Sáez, the mayor of Guardamar, has emphasised the significance of “neighbourhoods becoming increasingly integrated into the dynamics of the municipality,” and he has noted that this event has “consolidated itself and become a great gastronomic celebration for the municipality.”

The city council will also offer a transport service that will travel to all participating venues in order to simplify the process of travelling.

Auditorio del Campo will host a grand celebration on Saturday, May 17th, commencing at 6 p.m. The event will feature a variety of musical groups, including the Costa Blanca Singers, who will serve as the opening act.

The charitable nature of these festivities has been emphasised by the Guardamar councillor for Festivals. The El Raso festival committee has sold T-shirts for the Tapas Route at a price of 10 euros. The proceeds of these sales, in addition to those from the bar service on the 17th, will be donated entirely to charitable causes, including the ‘El Milagro de Ver’ Foundation, which is dedicated to enhancing eye health in developing countries, and to those impacted by DANA in Valencia.

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Costa Blanca

Elche joins the national protests for Palestine on May 10th

Tomorrow, Saturday May 10th, the Elche Palestine Solidarity Committee has scheduled a demonstration in accordance with the national mobilisations under the slogan “Move for Palestine.” The march will commence at 7:00 p.m., and the rally will be held at the Chimeneas de L’Algeps in Elche at 6:30 p.m.

The initiative aims to denounce the situation in Gaza and Palestine as a whole, and to encourage citizens to demonstrate their solidarity and demand genuine action to halt the violence. The Elche Palestine Solidarity Committee extends an invitation to all individuals, irrespective of their gender or age, to participate in this collective demonstration.

As part of a coordinated campaign to increase awareness of the situation in Palestine and demand an end to the violence and occupation, this mobilisation is one of a series of demonstrations that have been organised in various cities throughout Spain.