Bedburg is assistance dog friendly. Read Bedburg’s press release here. See also the latest article by the mayor of Bedburg.
“Bedburg is now an assistance dog-friendly town. This is because dogs are not only considered man’s best friend, but also help those who are dependent on the special abilities of their furry friends due to permanent disabilities. With the help of so-called assistance dogs, which, unlike therapy dogs, are specially trained to meet the needs of their owners, these people should be able to lead a more mobile and self-determined life.
The prerequisite for this is that assistance dogs are allowed to accompany their humans everywhere. This is also permitted by law in places where other dogs are not usually found or are not allowed to go. In order to support assistance dogs in their cooperation with their masters, the town of Bedburg is now recognized as an assistance dog-friendly town following a unanimous council decision and is cooperating with the association Pfotenpiloten e. V. The members of the independent and non-profit organization have been involved in this area since 2015.
“As an assistance dog-friendly city, we want to ensure that people with disabilities have fewer problems in their everyday lives. Assistance dogs are welcome wherever people are welcome – including in our town hall. They not only enable their owners to participate in everyday life, but also give them a great deal of quality of life,” says Mayor Sascha Solbach. Bedburg’s mayor was visited at the launch of the initiative by Heike Ferber, her companion Esther Wilmes and assistance dog “Shadow”. Heike Ferber is blind and a member of Pfotenpiloten. Bedburg resident Daniela Wüstenhagen from the Pro Retina e.V. association was also present.
Assistance dogs have a wide range of uses
With the help of information material, employees of stores, restaurants, doctors’ surgeries and hospitals are to be made aware of the access rights of assistance dogs. In addition, all municipal buildings receive a sticker with the inscription “Assistance dog welcome”. The so-called “Dog-Map” of the Pfotenpiloten can also be found on the homepage of the town of Bedburg. This is a worldwide interactive map for marking assistance dog-friendly locations, which can be accessed as an app or web application.
There are an estimated 3,000 assistance dogs in use in Germany, the best known of which is probably the guide dog for the blind. However, the animal assistants can also warn asthma or epilepsy patients of impending seizures or alert hearing-impaired or deaf people to noises such as doorbells or smoke alarms. They can also help wheelchair users or people with walking disabilities to get around and guide people to a quiet place in the event of a panic attack or sensory overload.
Assistance dogs undergo two years of training for their task. They can usually be recognized by an identification blanket, a harness or a special bandana.
The “Assistance Dogs Welcome” campaign was made possible by funding from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Aktion Mensch.
@Aktion Mensch, #AktionMenschGefördert, #AssistenzhundWillkommen, #1BarriereWeniger, #OrteFürAlle #Barrierefreiheit. #Inclusion, #assistance dog
