Leading with love and a wag (From Bucks Free Press)

Leading with love and a wag

10:00am Thursday 4th October 2007 in News By Lara King

MOST pet pooches may be content to spend their days snoozing on the sofa, but one group of hard-working hounds have a 24-hour job to do.

Guide dogs are the eyes of their owners, and more than 21,000 blind and partially-sighted people have regained their independence thanks to these waggy-tailed workers.

This week, the charity that has provided these dogs for more than 75 years aims to increase awareness of the difficulties that visually impaired people face, and to raise money to train more of these helpful hounds.

To celebrate Guide Dog Week, which runs from October 1 to 7, Guide Dogs for the Blind is inviting local people, schools, groups and businesses to christen one of the canine companions that will one day transform someone's life.

To participate in the Name a Puppy' appeal, communities must club together to foot the £5,000 bill for a puppy's food, training and vet's bills during its first year. In return, they will receive their newly named pup's birth certificate, photograph, and regular Pupdates' on its progress.

Nikki Wright, spokesman for Guide Dogs for the Blind, urged groups to come together and get involved.

She said: "As Guide Dogs receives no Government funding, any individual, company, group or club that can raise £5,000 to name a guide dog puppy is making a vital contribution. The training that they pay for will help provide independence and confidence to a visually impaired person."

High Wycombe's Octagon Shopping Centre has got on board, with an ongoing campaign to raise £5,000 to sponsor a guide dog puppy, named Eden after the town's new shopping development.

Wildlife presenter Alex Dolan, an ambassador for Guide Dog Week, said: "Every year around 1,000 would-be guide dogs are born. Through a huge team of volunteers, fundraisers and professional trainers, these special dogs go on to transform the lives of blind and partially-sighted people. I'm therefore delighted to be supporting the launch of Name a Puppy', and hope that it will instil pride amongst local fundraisers."

If you don't fancy naming a pup, there are other ways to help during Guide Dog Week and all year round. The charity's Buckinghamshire branch particularly needs more drivers, collection box co-ordinators and general volunteers. To get involved, contact Pam Mills, Senior District Fundraiser for Bucks, on 07990 540237.

* For more information, visit www.guidedogs.org.uk * If your workplace, football team or bridge club wants to christen its own canine, you can fundraise in any way you choose. For information and ideas, call 01189 895800.