Rehabilitation means

Oksana does not see, but she has a Kai-Kai guide that replaces her eyes

Help dog helpers of disabled help help

A girl with a black labrador approaches a children's hospital in Samara. The girl has dark glasses, a free dress, a cane in her hands. On the glossy wool of the dog, a brown harness with a red collar and a cross stands out. The girl's name is Oksana Sedunskaya, she is blind. And the dog’s name is Kai, she is her guide.

A nurse comes out of the hospital towards Oksana. He stops, looks at the girl with the dog perplexedly. After an awkward pause, the nurse offers to sit on the bench: “We don’t go inside: the weather is good, let's talk here.”

Oksana photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

Oksana is a masseur. Qualified, with experience, with a large number of diplomas. Makes a classic massage, acupressure, children, is engaged in the rehabilitation of children with disabilities, rehabilitation after injuries. She came to the hospital to get a job. Oksana is suitable in all respects, but at the end of the interview the nurse pulls: “We need mobile specialists ...” “Why did you get that I am not mobile?” - asks Oksana. The nurse is silent. It seems, only in order to observe decency, Oksana suggest showing documents in the personnel department. But with a dog that replaces her eyes, they do not let her in - Oksana goes with the accompanying person, Kaya remains to wait on the street. She is refused her work, for the third time. And then, in other places, they refuse again. The answer is one: "You can’t with the dog." And without a dog Oksana cannot.

Kaya

Oksana does not see anything at all, he only notices when the day goes into night. And when I found out that you can get a free dog dog in the Moscow Center “Dog-Assistants of the Disabled”, got up. Eight months later, they called her - you can come for a dog. Oksana went from Krasnodar to Moscow.

In the evening, on the day of arrival, it was brought up for a while in the room where there were guidelines in the aviary. One of the dogs began to bark loudly at Oksana and scared her to horror. Then Oksana said that this was her Kaya (the full name in the passport - Cassiopeia). Who knows what she barked? Maybe I immediately felt that Oksana would take her soon.

Kaya photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

In the educational and cinological center of the guide dogs, they prepare for almost a whole year. They buy puppies, give them to volunteers - up to a year, puppies live in apartments and get used to home environment. And then the center takes them - and study begins. Training every day, rest - only on weekends. Dogs learn to walk in a special harness, study various teams, train to bypass obstacles and stop at the guidelines. The output is the perfect guide.

Oksana lived in the center for two weeks and got used to Kaa. And Kaya got used to her. Oksana was taught to interact with his guide, give commands and care. And every day Oksana admired her dog more and more.

“I remember, we came from a walk - and they told me:“ We need to wash the paws to the dog. ” I was scared: "How to wash?" We went to the shower cabin, Kaya jumped there without a command and began to give me paws. And I rinse them with a shower. So surprised: “God, what, really can she?!” And then Kae laid a towel, she came out of the shower, lay down on him and did not stand up until she dried up. ”

Oksana and her guide dog Kai photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

Two weeks later, Oksana and Kaya flew home. On the plane, Kai was lying under the Oksanov armchair (according to the documents, a guide dog passes as a technical means of rehabilitation, like a wheelchair or cane) and shook with horror. When the sandwiches were brought, Oksana broke off a piece and gave the dog. Kaya swallowed him and stopped trembling. “So, thanks to the“ bun effect, ”we flew,” says Oksana.

"Make a hare!"

And a completely different life began. Without Kai, Oksana moved quite tolerably with the help of a cane. But it turned out to be so simpler with the dog that she had no week in a week how to leave the house without a labrador.

Oksana with her daughter Olya and Kaia photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

Here is an incomplete list of kaina skills.

● Kaya can find a free table in the cafe. Once, however, she led Oksana to a free chair at a table with two girls. The girls chewed the cupcakes, the dog could not cope with him.

● Kaya finds a stop, a pedestrian crossing and traffic light (the commands “Look for a column!”, “Look for a stop!”).

● Finds a free bench on the street (the team “Look for a bench!”).

● will give gloves, cane, telephone - all that the hostess dropped (the Aport! "Team).

● Finds the entrance to the building (on the command “Look for the entrance!” Kaya brings Oksana to the door and pokes his nose into the handle).

● Kaya will stop in front of a puddle, pit and any obstacle. And will execute the command "Go around!".

● If Oksana is not alone, on the command "Follow!" Kaya goes behind the sighted companion (when Oksana and Kai and I walked, the dog followed me on the heels).

● Kaya lies if you need to lie. It gets up if you need to get up. It bows, gives a paw, depicts a bunny (on the command “Make a bunny!” He stands on his hind legs, lowers the front and makes such a silent face that you can burst into tears).

● Kaya knows the main routes along which Oksana walks. It is enough to leave the house and name the destination (store, pharmacy, school) - and the dog will go there.

● The only thing Kaya is not capable of is aggression. She will not be able to protect Oksana if she was attacked. According to the hostess, even a cat can offend her. Once Kaya had already received her muzzle paw to blood.

Oksana in the courtyard of the house of his parents photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

One morning, Oksana went to a neighboring store without a dog, and a car ran into her foot at a pedestrian crossing. She doesn’t go anywhere else without Kai. She travels with her in transport (the dog turns the hostess on the bus, and then lies in the legs with a lump), goes to creative classes, for walks, takes her with her in all matters. Kaya - like an extension of Oksana. Like a leg, like a hand. She is Oksanina's eyes. Therefore, Oksana goes to interviews with a dog.

Work and support

According to the law, the employer must equip for a guide to the place where she will wait for the owner. It can be a utility room, free room or corner in it. At one of the places of work, Kai was lying on a rug under a table in Oksana’s office, in another place a dog was set in a room with an unemployed solarium. There may be many options, in general. But in Samara, where Oksana moved a few months ago, a guide dog is perceived as a dog and offered to leave her at home. “How will I leave her? - says Oksana. “I can't live without her.” Sometimes a taxi driver asks me to put Kaya in a cage. He does not understand that this is not just a dog, that she, like a wheelchair, is always with me, that I walk with her help. Where am I a cage? Will I wear it on my shoulders? "

Oksana makes a massage in her home office photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

Our whole conversation with Oksana and Kaia takes place in a cafe. We were missed without question (this is not everywhere, sometimes Oksana is driven away), the dog lay down under the table. And then we walk around the city, and I see Cassiopeia in business. She bypasses puddles, puts Oksana on a bench, slows down in front of the road and borders. If Oksana is resting, Kaya is happy to fall apart nearby. She works excellent when necessary, but, according to Oksana, lies as possible.

Talking about how the dog helps her, Oksana uses the wording “works”. For work, a guide dog receives a “salary” from the Social Insurance Fund-24.5 thousand rubles a year. Oksana spends money on food, medicine, toys. On average, Kaya costs Oksana 4 thousand rubles a month. “It would be possible to squeeze her budget, but I believe that Kaya is a real assistant, it works well, and I don’t feel sorry for her money,” says Oksana.

Oksana draws up documents in the Pension Fund photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

“Sometimes you should think something, but she already does,” says Oksana. - Here you go and think: to go drink a coffee or not? You haven't even decided yet, and she already leads to a cafe where you sometimes drink coffee! ” And also, according to Oksana, Kaya feels her mood and worries. “When I am nervous, she is nervous. And when I am sad, when I cry, it brings a squeaky toy, squeezes my jaw so that the toy is squealing. Like, this thing is having fun, maybe it will cheer you up? Let's play! And I involuntarily smile. I recently parted with my husband, it was very difficult for me. These days, Kaya slept not in her place, but came to my bed and lay down nearby. I lowered my hand on her and fell asleep, stroking her on the wool. It is so touching - to see, to feel how this little heart supports you, how it feels that you feel bad, and tries to console ... I love it very much. ”

Take it!

Oksana and Kai and I go for the next interview. Recently, Oksana wrote about her problems in the Kinological Center, where she received Kaya. The federal television channels shot stories about Oksana, and local media wrote articles. In the comments on social networks, Oksana invited the director of a private clinic for an interview. And Oksana hopes that this time she will be taken.

Oksana and Kai walk around the city photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

“It's a shame that I am a qualified specialist, and they look at me like a disabled person with ballast in the form of a dog. Well, I complained, they wrote about me. But this is not only happening to me! In Krasnodar, a girl with a guide dog Darley cannot find a job. In Moscow, too, one person cannot get a job ... And how many cases that we do not know about! After all, many will come home, cry, and that’s it. And for years they cannot find a job! "

Kai and I remain in the corridor (the dog joyfully flopes on the floor) and wait half an hour. Oksana returns smiling. “Imagine, they asked me what conditions my dog ​​needs! And before that I was asked only if I could come to work without her! ” In general, Oksana and Kai were taken.

Who and why need help

About 300 thousand blind, and according to unofficial data, more than 1.5 million people are officially registered in Russia. And guide dogs in Russia are only 1.5 thousand.

Preparation of guide dogs for the blind is a laborious and very expensive process. The state produces only 80 guide dogs a year, so the private educational and cinological center “Dog-Assistants of the Disabled” also took up the matter.

Oksana and Kaya photo: Daria Aslanyan for TD

The center receives a small subsidy from the state, and receives the rest of the money from private donations. Buy a labrador puppy, feed, treat, train-all this is money. Cinologists are engaged in dogs in the center, and there are also duty officers who feed and walk animals. After the dog is trained and passed the exam, she goes to the family. So Cassiopeia became Oksana's dog. And many other labradors are assistants to other blind people throughout Russia.

The “need help” fund collects money for renting premises where the training room and aviary are located. And also on the wages of the duty officers who take care of future guide dogs. Please support the work of the Center, it is very important, because for the blind dog dog is the only way to live among people without fear.