First guide dog training centre in Hong Kong opens

The first guide dog training centre in Hong Kong opened yesterday after two years of struggling to find a home in one of the most expensive cities in the world - raising hopes guide dogs can also be bred locally.

Hong Kong Seeing Eye Dog Services has obtained a 1,000 sq ft space - which will double as a training base and office - at a "discounted price" on the edge of Kwai Shing Estate, near Kwai Fong.

"We tried the Housing Authority and the Housing Department ... multiple times but never came close [to getting any help]," said the body's chief executive, Alfred Li.

With a visually-impaired population of roughly 170,000, Hong Kong has only 30 guide dogs - 14 of which have been trained or are still undergoing training by the group. Out of these 14 dogs, just four are currently in use.

According to the group, about 1,700 visually-impaired Hongkongers have expressed a wish to have a guide dog.

"If pups are raised and trained locally, Hong Kong's tight spaces are not an issue. They are used to navigating road crossings, escalators and malls," said one of the two dog trainers at the centre, Edith Lee. Lee and another trainer are obtaining their international credentials - receiving training from authorised centres outside Hong Kong, since there's no accredited facility in the city.