Guide dog group urges retirement at age 10

The Finnish Guide Dog Association has proposed lowering the retirement age for guide dogs from 12 to 10, citing concerns about the dogs’ welfare and the safety of their users, Yle reports.

The association, which represents guide dog users, sent its proposal to Finland’s wellbeing services counties in early September. Although the official retirement age is currently 12, guide dogs already retire at an average age of under 11.

Ida Mauko, from Hämeenlinna, has used a guide dog for just over three years. She has an inherited retinal disorder that has narrowed her field of vision to about five degrees. Her six-year-old dog, Devi, is still working, but Mauko says the strain of guiding and pulling in a harness has caused back problems.

“The more the dog pulls, the more strain there is on its spine,” Mauko said. When Devi’s working life ends, she will stay with the family as a pet.

Vesa Väkeväinen, head of the guide dog school run by the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired, said a 12-year working life is demanding. A dog’s ability may no longer meet its user’s needs towards the end, he said. Of about 10 dogs to retire from the school this year, only two reached the age of 12.

Some wellbeing services counties have already lowered the retirement age. In an agreement with the HUS group that took effect in November, the age is set at 10, with the option of extending a dog’s working life by a year if a veterinarian and guide dog school staff consider it suitable. The Päijät-Häme wellbeing services county has also set the age at 10, while Kanta-Häme still uses 12.

The school monitors dogs’ health through a care programme, with annual checks beginning when they turn seven. At age 10, dogs receive a comprehensive examination that includes blood tests and X-rays, as well as measures such as physiotherapy and canine massage.

Sakari Pekkanen, director of the Finnish Guide Dog School in Kuopio, said retirement should depend on a dog’s condition rather than a fixed age. He stressed that dogs differ and that their health is monitored more closely towards the end of their working lives.

Finland has about 230 guide dogs. Two guide dog schools currently provide them, and a third is preparing to start operating.