Guidelines
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Welcome
We'd like to thank the Rotorua community for toughing it out in the rain and raising $1,300 for Guide Dog Services (GDS). Over 200 dogs and 600 Rotorua dog owners turned up for the annual "Dogs Day Out". Organiser Amanda Druery, told us the day is a "feel-good" event that brings the community together and promotes good dog ownership, with the added benefit of being able to help GDS!
In September, we organised a residential guide dog team class in Wellington with three clients, guide dog mobility instructor Kim Norton and cadet Devon Bennett. It was wonderful to start offering these classes to guide dog teams and since then further programmes have started in Auckland, Christchurch, Hastings and the Central North Island.
Earlier in the year, we held a GDS volunteer training day in Wellington aimed at providing training and advice to existing boarding home volunteers and puppy walkers, as well as potential boarders and dog exercisers. Volunteers had the opportunity to meet some local guide dog teams and work through obedience and grooming exercises with them during two separate three-hour sessions. Everyone seemed to gain from the day!
Our November matching meeting was very successful with 11 dogs matched. Six were Labrador Retrievers and the remaining five were Labrador Retriever/Golden Retriever crosses. Four matches were with members who are currently without dogs, five were with members who have dogs due for imminent retirement and the remaining two were with first time applicants. We've already starting working with six of the teams who are attending a two-week residential class in Christchurch. The next matching meeting will be in March 2008.
I'd like to thank Bayleys Realty Group for their outstanding support and commitment to guide dogs; they are a pleasure to work with. I'd also like to take this opportunity to welcome new supporter Purina PetCare on board (see page 17).
Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year,
Helen McKenzie, Divisional Manager, Adaptive Living and Guide Dog
Services.
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Merry Christmas from Bayleys
Blind Week proved to be another opportunity for Bayleys to show their support for guide dogs. Staff collecting at the Viaduct Basin in Auckland on the Friday night received very generous responses from those kicking back and relaxing at the start of the weekend, including Paul Holmes, Julie Christie and April Ieremia.
While collecting in Wellington, Foundation head of regional fundraising, Dianne Armstrong, was thrilled to be approached by One News weatherman Tamati Coffey at the airport, asking for a cuddle with Bayleys national guide dog puppy Stella.
Kudos also goes to Bayleys North Shore Stanaway Real Estate for winning the 2007 Westpac North Shore Excellence Awards - North Shore Times Contribution to the Community category. Collectively the Stanaway offices support a number of community activities including Guide Dog Services. Bayleys North Shore have raised in excess of $65,000 for GDS and named two pups.
Bayleys are now almost halfway in their plans to sponsor 100 guide dogs. With a total of 45 named guide dogs and $1,567,504 raised, they certainly know how to deliver Christmas cheer!
Melinda Dawson
New breeding services manager, Melinda Dawson is passionate about working with dogs, particularly guide dogs.
"It started when I was 14," she says.
"I had an opportunity to work with Mark Vette's Animals on Q [animal talent agency] and in his kennels and canine behaviour clinic - it wasn't long before I was hooked."
That taster led to more work at other dog breeding and boarding kennels and eventually she completed a BSc in Zoology and Psychology from the University of Auckland.
"After Uni, I came to GDS where I
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was a kennel assistant for awhile before moving to MAF's Detector Dog Programme for six months.
"Then I returned to GDS as kennel manager, kennel and veterinary care manager, dog trainer cadet and breeding services manager.
"I took a break to have kids and came back to GDS part time as adoption coordinator and puppy development assistant."
Having been recently appointed to the role of breeding services manager, Melinda is responsible for providing quality puppies for GDS as well as assessing and training potential breeding stock.
She aims to improve the genetic health and temperament of the breeding colony, will ensure production needs are met and says that there will be many exciting opportunities after the completion of the new breeding centre.
"I'm also looking forward to the ongoing relationships with specialists in the field, including veterinary specialists, breeders and international guide dog schools.
"We have a great bunch of people at GDS and working with guide dogs is inspirational."
Puppy mouth-to-mouth!
Recently GDS had to deliver guide dog puppies by Caesarean section. Breeding services coordinator, Kim Malcolm explains what normally happens at these births.
"In a sterile theatre, the brood bitch is given a general anaesthetic, prepped and then our vet makes an incision and starts getting the puppies out."
Each pup is made in an individual sac, so the vet removes them one at a time, gives them to the vet staff, who pass them to the GDS breeding centre staff who are all holding warm towels.
Kim says they then have to remove each pup from its sac, release the amniotic fluids and check for signs of life.
"Time is of the essence. We tilt each pup upside down to drain all the extra fluids from its lungs and
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throat. We wipe this away with the towel and briskly wipe the pup to try to stimulate it to take a breath."
If the pup does not take a breath, staff have to give it a breath. They put their mouth over the pup's entire nose and mouth and give it a small breath - enough to inflate the lungs. Often they will put a small tube into the pup's mouth and gently suction out any mucous that is stopping them from breathing properly.
"If the pup does not breathe, we continue mouth-to-mouth until the pup is breathing on its own. This could be 20 minutes or even longer. It's 'full on' with staff working on up to three pups each.
"A pup's first breath is very exciting! As they start to breathe on their own, we put them in a warm box and monitor them while we keep working on the others.
"When all the pups are breathing and Mum is in recovery, the pups are put onto her for their first feed of colostrum. We then transport Mum and pups back to the GDS breeding centre where staff are rostered to stay with the litter continuously until Mum is able to look after the pups on her own.
"It's always a worry until we have all pups out and breathing and Mum off the operating table and back in recovery, but we have a good team," says Kim.
Welcome to new supporter Purina PetCare!
The Foundation is delighted to announce a new supporter for Guide Dog Services. Purina PetCare is to provide Purina dog food for all guide dogs up to graduation. That includes all guide dog puppies and training dogs, as well as breeding stock. Further support includes exposure at major events, such as the Mystery Creek Fieldays.
You'll see GDS branding on Tux dog biscuits in supermarkets. Tux is Purina PetCare's NZ-made brand.
Bayleys Realty Group will continue to be the Principal Sponsor of Guide Dog Services and Purina Petcare will be known as Proud Supporters of Guide Dog Services.