Guide dog puppies looking for homes to learn in
15 August 2011
Dog-loving homes are needed all across Auckland to help socialise tomorrow's guide dogs.
The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind's (RNZFB) Guide Dog Services needs people willing to help look after young pups for the first 12-18 months of their lives.
From now until November, approximately 30 Labrador puppies, all bred at the RNZFB's Guide Dog Centre in Manurewa, will need to be placed with puppy walkers from eight weeks of age .
Paula Gemmell, Puppy Development Coordinator at Guide Dog Services, says volunteer puppy walkers provide the puppies with love, care, socialisation and confidence for their first stages of life, before they enter formal training to become guide dogs.
"Puppy walkers help introduce puppies to social situations and environments they will encounter as a guide dog, like using public transport, going to the movies, restaurants or the supermarket.
"The more places you can take a puppy, the better, because you're getting the dog used to different smells, noises and situations," Paula says.
If you're interested in becoming a volunteer puppy walker, you must:
Have no more than one pre-schooler at home.Have no more than one other dog in the house.Have a high fully-fenced and dog secure section.Be able to walk the puppy about 5km per day.Be able to drive and have a car that the puppy can travel in.Not work full-time and have enough spare time to socialise the puppy.
For more information, please call Guide Dog Services during business hours on 09 269 0400 or email gds@rnzfb.org.nz for an application pack.
Once puppy walkers have been accepted and given a puppy, Guide Dog Services will continue to provide support by visiting regularly, providing food, equipment and veterinary care (including worming and vaccinations), and registering the puppy through the council.
Ends
Notes to Editor:
High resolution images attached of a guide dog puppy. The RNZFB equips its members with the adaptive skills, technology and resources they need to overcome the barriers they face to participating fully in society and leading independent lives. Guide Dog Services is one of the many services that the RNZFB offers its 11,700 members.RNZFB's Guide Dog Services receives no Government funding.
For more information please contact:
Gemma O'Sullivan or Rozz Macdonald, Communications, 09 355 6906 / 09 355 6891 or comms@rnzfb.org.nz
Paula Gemmell, Puppy Development Coordinator, 0274 506 329
