To celebrate National Puppy Day on March 23, Guide Dogs is encouraging more people in Devon to volunteer as puppy raisers.

Puppies live at home with their raisers from eight weeks old for 12 to 16 months before starting formal guide dog training. Since hundreds of people in the UK are waiting for a guide dog, the charity urgently needs more volunteers.

Guide dog puppies are raised to learn the skills and gain the experience they need to help people with sight loss. This means building their confidence in different places and getting them used to new sights, sounds, and smells.

Kerry Brass-Hall, a Puppy Development Advisor for Guide Dogs covering South Devon, 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 offer a caring home and essential training, socialisation, and exposure to new environments, laying the foundation for the puppy’s future as a guide dog. Volunteers need to be at least 18 years old, have suitable housing, and be able to spend time raising a puppy. Guide Dogs offers training, support, and pays for essentials like food and vet care.

Guide Dogs helps people with sight loss in the UK live active, independent lives by providing guide dogs. The charity relies on donations and volunteers, who raise puppies, support fundraising, and help with community outreach.

A guide dog partnership usually lasts seven to eight years before the dog retires. Individuals may then get a new guide dog if needed. The charity covers the costs of breeding, training, and care, making the service accessible.

To learn more about raising a guide dog puppy, visitwww.guidedogs.org.uk/puppyraising.