Few months ago I have received this message: “Woof! I’ve just purchased two HAFANS bandanas! Let me introduce myself. My name is Pupík and I graduated with flying colours as an assistance dog! Thank you, that you help dog shelters. It matters :-)” Since then I am staying in touch with Dominika – (Pupík’s owner and dog-mom) and I follow their true friendship on social media platforms. I really love stories about these two – the way in which Dominika describes their adventures from daily life is unbeliavably funny and catching.
Sometimes it’s all bittersweet though… Once in a while Dominika shares a story that gives me chills. Her life is not easy, she sometimes faints, forgets where she is or looses some of her belongings. Thankfully she has her Pupík who knows exactly what to do. In such event, from carefree playful dog Pupík transforms into a professional assistant, who brings Dominika whatever she needs at the moment. He can also lead her towards the train station and notifies her where to get off! He makes sure, Dominika does not step into the road and he shows her the way home. He lies on her there, just on the right spot on her body, so that the pressure makes her feel OK again. I think that Pupík is sort of furry Mitch Buchannon! Seriously! He is!
Non profit organization Helppes, which trained Pupík, is turning dogs into superheroes. Such dog training is very time-consuming and expensive. It takes approximately 6 to 9 months and costs around 250.000,- CZK (9500 EUR). While guide dog training is funded by the state in the Czech Republic, assistance dog and signal dog trainings are not. That is why I decided that starting from February 2020 HAFANS will donate 20 % of the company profits to Helppes. Helppes’s staff, especially dog trainers, have a very difficult occupation, but they do it with love. Only thanks to them (and of course thanks to trained dog superheroes) disabled and ill people can be fully integrated in social life and manage things that otherwise would not be managable for them. Furthermore Dominika painted a beautiful piece of art just for HAFANS called “Forest Animals”. I did some edits in Photoshop and HAFANS’s seamstress did all the rest magic. Check out Pupík’s Forest Animals dog bandana here.
Thank you for helping together with us!
Hana
