On December 4, Changzhou Longgen Dog Industry Base — the first guide dog training center of Jiangsu province  —was officially established in Benniu town, Xinbei district, Changzhou.

Guide dogs, also known as seeing-eye dogs, are assistance dogs trained to lead blind or visually impaired people around obstacles.

The handler might be likened to an aircraft's navigator, who must know how to get from one place to another, and the dog is the pilot, who gets them there safely.

According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, guide dogs are exempt from regulations against the presence of animals in places such as restaurants, grocery stores and public transportation.

Training a guide dog is a lengthy and strict process, and it requires a lot more work than training a family dog.

“It costs over 200,000 yuan to train a guide dog, which is not affordable for many of those with a visual disability,” said Sun Longgen, founder of Longgen Dog Industry.

While stating that each of their dogs is provided free of charge to people who are blind or vision impaired, Sun called for more support from society-wide charities.  

There are about 9,900 visually impaired people in Changzhou, with only four guide dogs registered in the city, according to the Changzhou Disabled Persons' Federation.

On December 3, Changzhou Longgen Dog Industry Base donated its first guide dog to the Jiangsu Association of the Blind. The dog will be matched with a qualified owner and undergo a few weeks of joint training before it can follow the owner to its new home.

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