Guidelines
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Welcome
Guide Dog Services kicked off the New Year with a groundbreaking celebration on 24 January, marking the start of work on our new guide dog breeding centre.
The new breeding centre, due for completion around the end of August, is crucial as we strive to improve our service. You can read all about our groundbreaking ceremony (with a twist!) on page 17.
A further element to our continuous improvement is asking guide dog handlers about what is important to them. In January we invited handlers to participate in a survey where we asked questions about how satisfied they were with some aspects of our guide dog service.
All completed surveys have now been received and the feedback is being collated. We'll report back on how this information will help us improve services in the next Outlook.
We're bursting with puppies at Guide Dog Services with golden retriever H litter born on 7 December, and Labrador litters I and J born on 13 and 11 January.
The popular F litter poodle pups that were born in September are now turning heads on the high streets with their puppy walkers in Auckland and Christchurch. The pairs are often stopped by passers-by who don't realise that poodles make great guide dogs!
In 2008 I'll be working more closely with our colleagues in the Guide Dog Society. I met with Helena Tuteao and Wendy Chiang from the Society earlier this year and we had an initial brainstorm about how we can work together to keep members informed and develop new initiatives. I'll keep members posted on how this develops.
I'll close with a reminder about Red Puppy Appeal, which this year takes place from 4-6 April. We'll need volunteer collectors in all areas and hope you'll be able to help us give 'power to the puppies!'
With best regards
Helen McKenzie
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Bayleys pupdate
Bayleys Realty Group has now supported Guide Dog Services as Principal Sponsor for over four years. In that time, Bayleys and their franchises and offices up and down the country have raised over $1.6 million! In October, Bayleys committed to a further three years of sponsorship – a wonderful reflection of how well the relationship is working.
Bayleys were finalists in the 2007 TVNZ Sponsorship awards for their partnership with RNZFB Guide Dog Services. The nomination certainly had plenty of the "ooooh, aaaah" factor but Bayleys were not winners on the night. They are always top dog to us, though!
Bayleys pup and star of the Red Puppy Appeal, Stella, said her goodbyes to the Bayleys social circuit at the end of February. She's now at guide dog school for assessment and training. We'll keep you up to date on her progress.
There have been some recent changes in the team at Bayleys and we are looking forward to working closely with Mike Bayley and David Poole. We'd also like to thank Mark Grant, our previous contact at Bayleys for continuing the passion and wish him all the best for the future.
Toll Tranz Link keeps on rolling
Toll continue to support the Foundation in a very practical way by delivering cartons of appeal materials and other RNZFB items, for free, across NZ. The company has also made a huge difference by transporting Guide Dog Services vehicles between Auckland and Christchurch, and Auckland to Nelson.
This is a major saving for the Foundation and we are extremely grateful for the ongoing support of Toll Management and teams across NZ.
Guide Dogs 'dig' new centre
In January, over 50 staff, members and friends of the RNZFB gathered for an unusual groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new guide dog breeding centre in Manurewa, due for completion around the end of August.
The stars were breeding stock dogs, Dell and Harper, and guide dog in training Palmer, who stole the show as they broke the ground, digging for treats. Thanks to Melinda Dawson, Breeding Services Manager, for training them for the special occasion!
Helen McKenzie, Divisional Manager Adaptive Living and Guide Dog Services says, "The new breeding centre will mean more space to breed
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approximately 110 guide dog puppies each year and allow us to introduce the latest international puppy development programmes. We've outgrown our current centre and can't wait to move in!"
Funding is being provided by private donors and charitable trusts. An $865,000 grant was received from an anonymous donor, $457,000 from the Lillian Valder Charitable Trust, and a $227,000 grant is to be provided by the ASB Community Trust.
Puppy walker Peggi gives back
Puppy walker Peggi Cullen first found out about puppy walking when a breeding stock dog visited her youngest daughter Kristina's intermediate school. Peggi thought it sounded interesting and wanted to give it a go.
Her daughter Kristina, now 22, has Down's syndrome and a heart condition, and Peggi saw puppy walking as a way of getting out into the community, encouraging people to talk to her and Kristina. "Instead of me whingeing about needing help, I decided to help other people. But it's also benefited us tremendously."
Peggi is now puppy walking her 10th guide dog puppy, a lively black lab named Gibson, who is six months old.
"I've puppy walked four girl and six boy puppies, and every one of them has their own personality. Gibson is an outgoing, happy little fella, who knows everyone loves him! He's very responsive and sociable," says Peggi.
Puppy Development Manager Paula Gemmell says, "Puppy walkers like Peggi make such a difference, because they give our puppies the best start in life. We're always grateful for the work that our puppy walkers do, even when they're only able to commit to the job for a year."
Gibson enjoys going for walks on Auckland's North Shore. He also loves it when his sister Geri (who lives in Beach Haven, Auckland) comes for sleepovers.
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Peggi is involved with community work, volunteering with StarJam and Outreach, and she is starting her own business. Gibson slots in really well with Peggi's busy life, and can go with her everywhere, even to work meetings. Peggi says, "He's an extension of my arm. If I don't have him there, it's like something's missing."
Peggi remains philosophical about giving the puppies back. Although it's sad, she knows that the benefits to handlers are immeasurable. "It's like when your children go off to university. Besides, there's always another puppy to walk!"
To find out more about puppy walking, phone 0800 24 33 33, email gds or check the website www.rnzfb.org.nz/volunteeryourtime/gdsvolunteers
What's new in matching?
Our 2007 matching events saw 42 guide dog handlers matched with their new dogs. Matching events take place four times a year, in the first week of March, May, August and November. The events involve a variety of guide dog trainers, guide dog mobility instructors, veterinary care specialists and relevant managers.
The purpose of these sessions is to identify the most suitable matches for members who await training. Staff take time and great care to observe individual walks with the particular guide dogs, who have been trained to the required high standard. They then analyse background reports and video information on both the dogs and the members, to ensure the most appropriate "fit".
In 2007, Guide Dog Services held residential programmes at different locations throughout the country for newly matched guide dog teams. The programme sees a team of guide dog mobility instructors and cadet instructors work closely with a group of members, using comfortable motel-style accommodation as a training base. Training staff work for the most part on a one-to-one basis with individuals to help them develop their skills and confidence to handle, work with and care for their new guide dogs.
Guide dog handler Ken Ham lives in Blenheim and participated in a residential programme in Christchurch last November. He says, "It was an incredibly rewarding experience – the interaction between the candidates and instructors was beneficial to the success of the class."
"The residential programme offers you the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, and the chance to investigate a huge variety of environmental differences. I couldn't recommend a programme more highly."