Euroma2 donates a guide dog to a young visually impaired woman
"From today a new life begins for me"
ROME – “A new life begins for me today. I have always had a passion for dogs, since I was little, and ‘looking’ at the world through the eyes of Milo, this splendid black Labrador, will certainly be It’s another wonderful adventure. I will be much more independent and he will accompany me on all my errands every day, I will also take him with me to the gym, while I do sports. He will become the mascot. I expect team play from him.” . Anna Pandolfi, 39 years old, Roman, was born with congenital glaucoma and nine years ago, following a retinal detachment, she lost her sight. After an initial period of “upheaval”, as she told Dire, she took her life back and also became the mother of a five-year-old girl. Today is a special day for her, because thanks to the social initiative ‘PETS – Stories of unconditional love’, promoted by Euroma2 of the SCCI Group, she was given a guide dog trained by the Lions Guide Dogs school of Limbiate. The event, now in its fifth edition, is scheduled until May 19th at the ‘Food Court’ on the second floor of the Shopping Center (in viale dell’Oceano Pacifico, 83 – Eur) and will give the opportunity to discover the world of pets.
“We are proud to present the fifth edition of ‘Pets’ – commented Davide Maria Zanchi, president of Euroma2 – an initiative that celebrates not only the love for animals, but underlines the importance vital role of guide dogs in the daily assistance of blind people. Also this year we are happy to be able to donate our sixth dog as Euroma2 and, as SCCI Group, our 19th dog trained by the Lions Guide Dog School of Limbiate to a blind woman from the Rome area towards accessibility is a leap towards humanity”.
Patrizia Prestipino, Guarantor for the Protection and Welfare of Animals of Roma Capitale, also lent her support to the initiative: “I really appreciate this initiative of great ethical and social nature”, she said.
The Euroma2 Shopping Center, meanwhile, has for years supported the Guide Dog Service of the Lions of Limbiate which deals with the training of guide dogs, trained to assist blind people throughout Italy. This year too, the dog trained entirely thanks to the support and support of Euroma2 comes from Limbiate, where there is one of the largest training centers at national and international level.
“Here they are born, grow up and train, in fact, future dogs for the blind – said Cav. Giovanni Fossati, president of the Lions Guide Dog Service – who at around three months are entrusted to families who will keep them until they are one year old. Only at twelve months will the real training work begin where the dog will learn to extricate himself from a thousand situations, to orient himself in cities, to overcome obstacles and will even learn to recognize people to trust and those to avoid very short, about 18 months in total, but when it is finished that dog will have become a precious and irreplaceable help.”
For the event, various stands of associations and institutions that work closely with dogs will be set up; the many assistance and rescue opportunities in which these extraordinary animals can really make a difference will be presented to the public, from rescue at sea to finding the missing, up to assistance for the blind. On Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th, the public will be able to attend practical demonstrations by, among others, the Lions Guide Dogs, the Italian Red Cross, the Civil Protection, the Carabinieri, the State Police and the Financial Police. Those interested in adopting a dog or cat can instead contact the AIDA & A (Italian Association for the Protection of Animals & Environment) and ‘Luna di Formaggio’.
Also during the days in which the event will be held, a photographic exhibition will be set up along the gallery on the ground floor of the shopping centre. of approximately twenty shots, edited and produced by Euroma2, which retraces and recounts through images some of the most significant stages of a guide dog, bred and trained at the LIONS training center in Limbiate: from birth to training that he will have to undergo to be ready for the future activity of assistance in movements alongside a blind person. ‘PETS’ has the patronage of the Lazio Region, the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital and the Municipality IX Rome Eur, sees the involvement of the authorities and city bodies, as well as the participation of many associations in the sector and of the CRI, the Civil Protection, the Units Roma AIDA&A-Italian Association for the Defense of Animals and the Environment and Luna di Formaggio, which deals with animals resulting from seizures, mistreatment, difficult situations and strays.