Guide Dogs volunteers | Guide Dogs calls for volunteers in Sussex to help care for adorable puppies like Gus and Atlas
An appeal has been launched in Sussex, calling for volunteers to help raise guide dog puppies
Guide Dogs, the sight loss charity, is searching for more people to help care for pups like Gus and Atlas. These 2-month-old guide dog pups have been settling into their new homes in West Sussex, after being collected by local volunteer puppy raisers.
Guide dog puppies live at home with their puppy raisers from eight weeks old, staying with the volunteers for around 12-16 months before they start their formal training. But with hundreds of people across the UK waiting for a guide dog, the sight loss charity needs more puppy raisers.
Mark Whitby, the puppy raiser looking after Gus in Sussex, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be first-time puppy raisers for Guide Dogs. We thought long and hard before taking on the role, especially as we also have Lola, our much loved 10-year-old Golden Retriever.
We’ve always loved dogs, and this felt like a very special opportunity – not only to help shape Gus, our wonderful new guide dog puppy, but also to play a small part in the life of the person who will one day rely on him for their independence.”
Katherine Wydra, the puppy raiser looking after Atlas in Sussex, said: “We welcomed Atlas, our second guide dog puppy, into our home last week. He has already made himself at home and is getting to know our pet dogs. We hope we can prepare him for advanced training so he can make a difference for someone with sight loss.”
Ashley Kennedy Antell, a Puppy Development Advisor for Guide Dogs covering Sussex, said: “Raising a puppy is hard work but it’s highly rewarding. Without the support of our amazing volunteers, we simply wouldn’t be able to train the hundreds of life-changing guide dogs that we do each year to support people with sight loss across the UK.”
Puppy raisers provide a loving home and a vital foundation for the puppy’s future role as a guide dog through training, socialisation and the introduction of new environments and experiences. Volunteers need to be aged over 18 with suitable housing and plenty of time to invest in raising the puppy. Guide Dogs provides full training and support and covers the essential costs including food and vet bills.
Could you be the one to help a puppy make an enormous difference? Contact your local Guide Dogs team today to learn more: 0345 143 0191.
Explore opportunities available where you live, or to start your application online:
www.guidedogs.org.uk/volunteer
For more information, contact Tim: volunteer@guidedogs.co.uk
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