(Photo/Ma Ben & Guo Jingyu)

Runyuan Farm in Benniu Town of Changzhou City has recently opened a guide dog training base, the first of its kind in Jiangsu Province.

Guide dogs can help visually impaired people get around safely and confidently, acting as important helper for their travel, community participation and social integration. But it takes long-time training and a cost of 200,000 yuan before a puppy becomes a qualified service dog.

Changzhou has four guide dogs so far. The first guide dog in Jiangsu was a Golden Retriever, which came to Changzhou in 2013 and stayed with its owner for more than eight years before retiring. Another 2-year-old guide dog arrived in Changzhou in 2020 and has been helping its owner go to work.