Courageous pilgrims – with combined forces and guide dogs on the Way of St. James

At the end of September, Laura, Maria, Wolfgang, Sonja and Sami leave for Spain and, together with nine other dog-human teams, cover a distance of 75 kilometers to Santiago de Compostela.

This project requires a lot of courage, because the five pilgrims from Austria will complete this route with the help of their guide dogs. “We humans perceive up to 80 percent of all impressions through our eyes. If this sense fails, it becomes a great challenge for us,” says Karl Weissenbacher, who will also put on the hiking boots.

He supports the project of the association “Independence Dog Austria” (IDA) with his expertise, as Weissenbacher is head of the test center for assistance dogs at the Messerli Institute. The expert dog lover is well aware of the needs of all those involved, which must be taken into account during the long journey.

Animal feed manufacturer Purina has also noticed this and supports the journey in many ways. A matter of honor for Purina boss Marius Baumeister, because this project commands him the greatest respect:

“I believe that people and pets are happier together. For people with a visual impairment, a guide dog means much more: freedom and a self-determined life! That is why we support the project of Independence Dogs Austria with financial support, with food donations for the dogs, with help with the organization and also with personal participation.”