South African Guide Dog Association
Associations in Sandton

DID YOU KNOW? SAGA is the only organisation of its kind in South Africa and Africa at large. SAGA trains guide dogs for the visually impaired, and orientation & mobility practitioners to teach the visually impaired skills of daily living, service dogs for the physically impaired, …. SAGA does not receive any funding from the government.

Corporate team-building events and visual impairment sensitization are on offer. In these events College staff present a variety of fun activities under blindfold aimed at promoting teamwork and simultaneously increasing awareness of the needs of people with visual impairments. Short courses for students and professionals in the teaching, medical and nursing professions, and for care-givers, employers and colleagues of people with visual impairment. The College also provides direct services to people with visual impairments, by sending out staff to train people in their homes, schools, workplaces and communities. The College raises awareness by visiting and hosting schools, colleges and universities. The College raises awareness by providing awareness of visual impairment to government institutions and to the corporate environments. Most puppies are bred at the Gladys Evans Training Centre in Johannesburg. Puppies are placed with volunteer Puppy Raising Families at about seven weeks of age. Pups attend weekly socialising classes for the first 13 weeks that they are living with their Puppy Raisers. Puppy Raisers are responsible for house training and socialising their puppy. All male puppies (who are not being considered as stud dogs) are castrated at about seven months of age. About two thirds of all dogs bred will go on to become Guide, Service, Autism Support Dogs or breeding stock. These dogs often stay with their Puppy Raiser as a family pet (the Puppy Raisers has first option to keep the dog). If the Puppy Raiser can’t keep the dog the GDA will re-home the dog as a pet. Each instructor is responsible for training six dogs. Once the working dog is fully trained it is matched to a suitable owner. Before matching a working dog and the new owner all the facts that are known about the dog are considered (working ability, temperament, energy levels, environmental suitability etc.) and all of the facts known about the new owner are considered (needs, disability, home and work environment, dog handling experience etc.). The new owner will spend two weeks training at our Training Centre (Johannesburg or Cape Town) with their new working dog. GDA currently employs six Guide and three Service Dog instructors in Johannesburg. In Cape Town two Guide Dog Instructors are employed. A learner instructor takes three years to qualify as a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor or Service Dog Instructor. Many dogs remain with their owner after retirement age. Some retired working dogs are re-homed into a new loving home.