Dutch Consul General Daan Huisinga and his wife, Anne Huisinga-Paret (AA Photo)
Dutch Consul General Daan Huisinga and his wife, Anne Huisinga-Paret, are raising a Labrador puppy to become a guide dog, helping address the critical need for around 300 visually impaired individuals in Türkiye currently waiting for one.
The puppy, named Mayıs, will live at the consulate for about a year, learning basic commands and becoming accustomed to crowds and public transport. A trainer visits every two weeks to teach the couple how to guide the pup’s behavior.
As part of social exposure training, Mayıs is taken to cafes, restaurants, buses and trams, with YouTube firework audio used to build confidence around loud noises. Ball games, however, are restricted so the puppy learns not to get distracted during future service.
“We have been with Mayıs for eight weeks,” Huisinga said. He noted that while the curious pup requires care and discipline, she has quickly befriended roughly 40 members of the consulate staff.
As expected of a lively puppy, Mayıs loves chewing shoes, occasionally squabbles with the consulate’s two cats, and once ended up at the vet after sneaking half a box of Turkish delight. The consul general takes the lead on morning walks and meals, though the couple manages the rest of the pup’s care together.
Their previous dog, Mars, whom they adopted in Türkiye, passed away after 13 years together. The couple first encountered Kara, one of Türkiye’s pioneer guide dogs, during their 2013–2017 assignment in Ankara. Attending a retirement party for the dog in Istanbul later connected them with the Guide Dogs Association.
Its founding president, lawyer and disability rights advocate Nurdeniz Tunçer, worked with Kara for about 11 years. After Kara retired, she obtained another guide dog abroad two months later. Tunçer said guide dogs gave their handlers freedom, confidence and independence.
Huisinga-Paret noted that even if all four candidate dogs currently in training successfully qualify, 296 people will still be left waiting. Emphasizing the immense gap, she appealed for more dogs and volunteers to join the cause.
Guide dogs undergo specialized training to help visually impaired people move safely and independently. Mayıs will be matched with a handler only if he completes training and is deemed suitable.
