January 2010 Visionary - International Guide Dog Federation

Australia | Guide Dogs VictoriaArtist impression of kennel redevelopmentThe building ofour vision forthe futureDr. Graeme WhiteGuide Dogs Victoria - AustraliaGuide dog organisationsaround the world understandthat the demand for guidedogs never slows.At Guide Dogs Victoria we have hadrapid growth in our programs in recentyears, holding our largest ever class ofnine students in December 2008. As theprovider of approximately 85 per centof the state’s guide dog population, weneed to be prepared for this everincreasing need within our community.We are excited to share with ourinternational friends our plans for anAUS$3.7 million redevelopment andexpansion of our outgrown kennelfacility and veterinary clinic. While thecurrent complex has served us well, thetime has come to invest in our futureand much has been learned about thewelfare, training and socialisation ofguide dogs since construction of ourkennel facility some forty years ago.This landmark facility, to be built inthree stages, has been developed withinput from staff knowledge developedover our 52-year history, currentresearch in canine welfare and thelatest in global kennel design. It willmaximise the welfare of staff, clients,the environment and our dogs intraining – giving each dog the bestopportunity to succeed as a life longpartner to a person with visionimpairment.Once complete, the facility willenable Guide Dogs Victoria to morethan double its training and boardingkennel facilities from a current capacityof 55 dogs at any one time, to 145. Withaccess to this level of dogaccommodation, Guide Dogs Victoriawill be able to embark confidently uponan expansion of its breeding program inorder to meet the anticipated increasein demand for our guide dog servicesover the coming decades.Dogs will remain in a social housingenvironment with good visualinteraction with their surrounds,improved staff observation facilitiesand a design sensitive to maximisingtheir physical and behaviouralwellbeing.Our supporters’ needs have alsobeen taken into consideration. Newviewing platforms and observationdecks will enable visitors to get aninsider’s look into Guide Dogs Victoria’soperations, with minimal disruption tothe dogs living on site.With Australia currently in a severedrought, the new facility will house anew, state-of-the-art water filtrationsystem to allow recycling of 75 per centFundraising hasbegun on theseprojects, withover $1 millionraised so far.of the water currently used formaintaining kennel hygiene, storingthousands of litres of water.The redevelopment will also see asignificant expansion of our current vetclinic facilities, allowing us to managethe health of our dogs from birth toretirement and offer free first classveterinary care from specialists whounderstand the unique responsibilitiesof our guide dogs. Current outsourcedprocedures such as neutering and x-rays will be brought in-house and astate-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool willprovide critical rehabilitation as well asexercise and play on hot days.Fundraising has begun on theseprojects, with over $1 million raised sofar. The first stage of kennelredevelopment is expected tocommence within the next six months.We are hoping that over the nexttwelve months we will have raisedenough to complete the boardingkennels and training facilities, with thevet clinic scheduled to commence aspart of stage two.Issue 15 | January 10 | 9