The English pub 'Mardi Gras' in Gran Canaria donated 24.000 euros to the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation (FOPG), which will be used for the training of these animals. On the occasion of this donation, four of the owners of the pub, located in the Yumbo Shopping Center in Playa del Inglés in Maspalomas, visited the facilities of the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation this Wednesday in Madrid, where they learned about the work being carried out up close. with the dogs to become the eyes of blind people.
There they petted some puppies, accessed a training block, saw the veterinary hospital area and attended a small exhibition with a guide dog to learn first-hand the safety and autonomy that walking with your eyes covered brings, Servimedia reports. They were also surprised to meet the two black labradors they sponsored 14 months ago named Mardi, in honor of the name of the English pub, and Mitzi, the name of one of the workers at the hospitality establishment in Gran Canaria. This donation was possible thanks to the organization of solidarity raffles that were held from the English pub itself and the contribution of many of its regular customers. This amount highlights the solidarity of the hospitality industry on the island, which will help blind or visually impaired people to count on the support of these future guide dogs.
ONCE has as one of its maxims the inclusion of blind people in society. Employment, social and cultural relations and personal autonomy are the pillars on which this work is based. For this reason, he created the FOPG, adopting the model of the European and North American guide dog schools. Its current facilities have 110.000 square meters that accommodate all services: breeding, housing and care of puppies, training and instruction of dogs, veterinary clinic, shelter for retired dogs and residence for the training of users.
