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    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center

    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center
    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center. (Agency)

    Infanta Sofia has just made a statement with her second solo appearance, and this time, it goes far beyond protocol. The visit to the ONCE Foundation’s Guide Dog Breeding and Training Center wasn’t a scheduled event that came to Zarzuela to fill gaps; it was the other way around.

    The Royal Family contacted ONCE to inform them that Sofia wished to attend. And when I say “wanted,” I mean it, because the youngest of the Royals has already made her interest in disability issues and the people who live with them clear on several occasions.

    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center
    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center. (Agency)

    What happened there speaks volumes. In front of the cameras, during the most official moments with authorities and the family photo, Sofia reverted to her familiar shyness. But when the tour became more private, with the foundation’s leaders showing her the hospital area and the breeding rooms, everything changed.

    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center
    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center. (CasaReal)

    In a room that looked like a puppy nursery, the princess let go. She named a newborn, held another in her arms, and petted Eli, the mother dog watching over her pups. She was in her element there, without any forced poses.

    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center
    Infanta Sofia requested to visit ONCE Foundation’s guide dog center. (Agency)

    This event marks the opening of the Foundation’s new Clinical and Assistance Complex, which has provided nearly 4,000 dogs to blind or visually impaired individuals in Spain.

    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center
    Infanta Sofia Visits ONCE Foundation Guide Dog Center. (CasaReal)

    Sofia learned about the entire process, from raising these animals to their retirement, as they become someone else’s eyes. Both Queen Sofia and Letizia had previously visited the center, underscoring the Royal Family’s commitment to this cause.

    Infanta Sofia is an animal lover.
    Infanta Sofia is an animal lover. (CasaReal)

    It seems quite clear where Infanta Sofia’s agenda is headed. While Leonor shoulders the weight of her official duties as Princess of Asturias, her younger sister pursues equally important social causes, though with a different approach.