A dream becomes true: people guided by their guide dogs do a pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela.
An international project of Independence Dogs Austria: Guide dog teams from Austria, Germany and Spain walk 75km of the Camino, and give a concert in Santiago de Compostela.
Project news
About the project
What is the project about?
The guide dog makes it possible! Despite their visual impairment, a group of people with their guide dogs will make a pilgrimage from A Coruña to Santiago de Compostela in galicia, Spain. Walking 15 km a day for 5 days with their guide dogs is feasible, as the people entrust themselves completely to their guides in unfamiliar surroundings and the dogs make decisions for them which sighted people take for granted. A small concert in a church in Santiago de Compostela is planned at the end of the pilgrimage, with Wolfgang Niegelhell, a well-known panpipe artist from Austria, together with his guide dog and musicians from Santiago de Compostela will perform.
In order to be able to fulfill these dreams now and in the future, we kindly ask you as a non-profit organization for financial support for this project. Every one of your contributions counts!
Why would someone support this project?
The project is currently supported by the non-profit association “Independence Dogs Austria” and a sponsor.
Since this is the first attempt to finance such a cross-border training adventure for the guide dog teams, and Independence Dogs Austria would like to continue to make these projects affordable for blind people and their dogs in the future, it is important that the project attracts the interest and goodwill of the general public.
What happens with the money if financing was successful
The money donated will go solely to the amazing project of the pilgrimage of 8-10 guide dog teams walking the Camino Inglés to Santiago de Compostela! If there is any money left over, it will benefit the next guide dog seminar in 2025 and support the participating guide dog teams.
Independence Dogs Austria is a non-profit organization for enabling independence through assistance dogs. Maria Gerstmann and Ingrid Sweeney (founders of Independence Dogs Austria) are internationally known as proponents of independence for people with visual impairments and people with multiple disabilities who need an assistance dog.
Maria has been training guide dogs for the blind as well as for people with multiple disabilities for over 35 years and has organized seminar adventures for dog teams lasting from several days to several weeks. She has been officially honored several times.
These training courses, in which guide dogs and their handlers are on the move by public transport and walk in groups, have so far taken place in Paris, Prague, Canada, on a sailing ship on the Mediterranean, in Tyrol, Upper Austria and many other places. The assistance or guide dog is a living being that goes through changes, just like humans do. This is why further training is so important for the independence of the human-dog team.
As a member of the IGDF (International Guide Dog Federation), Independence Dogs Austria is committed to the very highest global standards. It provides advice and continuing education for the dog and person throughout the dog's life, so very important for the wellbeing of the guide dog team.
Projektstandort: Neudorfberg 78, 8211 Ilztal, Austria