"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven..."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Now is the time for sadness and mourning…

The news from Israel has been devastating. And our Israel Guide Dog family is suffering as we watch the news, hear of love ones who were slain or taken hostage, cope with deployments, deal with the instability of taking emergency shelter, and attend funerals.

Today it hurts to share that our friend and client, Dor Shapir, was killed along with his partner, Savion Kiper, at the music festival in Israel. Dor's service dog Doris is safely with us at our campus in Beit Oved.

His memory will be a blessing for his family, friends, and the entire Israel Guide Dog Center family!

But it is also the time for strength and resilience…

In these challenging times, the Israel Guide Dog Center continues to provide support to those in need.

• Our clients: The staff has checked in with all clients and we are now supporting them as best we can. We’ve had to temporarily cancel in-person classes at the Center and are returning to our remote training model that was initiated during the Covid pandemic.
• Puppy-raisers: Most of our volunteer puppy raisers are university students and 75% have been called up to reserve duty. We are re-homing these puppies so they can continue to receive their important socialization and training.
• Our Campus: Our campus in Beit Oved, which is completely full with puppies and dogs, is directly between Gaza and Tel Aviv and there are many rockets flying overhead. We have shelters on campus where our team can seek safety.

The Center is an important part of the fabric of Israeli society, and we are compelled to help the broader Israeli community. Our staff, volunteers, and puppy raisers have already ventured into the community to visit displaced families for "Puppy Love Encounters". As dog lovers know, the unconditional love of a puppy is invaluable, and from this picture of our puppy Willi visiting children in Ofakim, you can see it yourself.

It is also a time for our international friends to stay connected…

You can support our ongoing efforts to help Israel and Israelis by making a donation.

We will continue to send updates by email, yet daily content, pictures, and videos can be seen on Facebook.

Thank you for your kind friendship, generous support, and continued thoughts & prayers.

Gail Androphy



US Executive Director

Israel Guide Dog Center