A guide dog puppy begins training at ILUNION Atrium Hotel’s Reception Desk
Her name is Lía, and over the next 12 months, she will learn to socialise and become familiar with different environments.
11 March 2024
Meet Lía — a three-month-old German Shepherd puppy who will spend the next twelve months learning to socialise and adapt to various environments alongside the front desk team at ILUNION Atrium, Madrid. Her main handler is Iván Espinosa, the hotel’s Assistant Front Office Manager, who is directly responsible for her training and familiarisation with everyday surroundings.
Iván’s main task is to help Lía become comfortable around people and adapt to a wide range of environments so that, after completing her training, she can support a blind person in Spain, enabling them to live independently and move about safely.
“The ONCE Guide Dog Foundation gives us a detailed guide with instructions on how to handle different situations, and we also have access to a 24-hour support line. We’re never alone in this,”, explains Espinosa.
While any member of the team can spend time with her, Iván is her designated supervisor, as he meets all the requirements to be a volunteer puppy raiser set by the ONCE Guide Dog Foundation (FOPG).
“I’m a good match because I work in an office environment, so Lía can stay with me all day. She’s doing great, but we must remember she’s still a puppy and learning how to behave. Right now, we’re trying different forms of public transport so she gets used to them,” he adds.
THE STEP
The initiative was born after a talk by the FOPG at ILUNION’s Madrid headquarters. Following the session, ILUNION Atrium’s Director, Lucas Barreta, and his team decided to take the leap.
“We felt we had a duty to take this step as key players in the disability space,” explains Barreta, adding that the fact all ILUNION Hotels are pet-friendly made this initiative even more feasible.
“Having Lía in our hotel is a big responsibility,” admits Barreta. “But we’re extremely proud, and we hope this marks the beginning of many more adoptions.”
This innovative social initiative, developed in partnership with the FOPG, aligns with one of ILUNION Hotels’ core purposes: to build a better world that includes everyone.
The ONCE Guide Dog Foundation is dedicated to breeding and training guide dogs for people who are blind or have severe visual impairments, helping them achieve greater independence in their daily lives. The organisation runs a specialised centre in Boadilla del Monte (Madrid), with facilities for housing dogs, administrative areas, and accommodation for trainees during their guide dog training programme.
