Guidelines
- Welcome
- Guide Dog Services Record in brief
- Our million-hour woman
- Our first poodle pups
- High Fliers
- Practice makes perfect puppies
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Welcome
This is a very special time for us here at Guide Dog Services.
April this year marked the 30th anniversary of the opening of the RNZFB's Guide Dog Services in Browns Rd, Manurewa, South Auckland, and September will mark 30 years since the graduation of the first New Zealand-trained guide dog team.
Before the school opened, 16 blind and vision-impaired New Zealanders had graduated from overseas schools; 13 from Royal Guide Dog Associations of Australia, two from the Guide Dogs for the Blind UK and one person - the famous musician Julian Lee - graduated from Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, USA.
Then in the 1970s, the Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School, based in Victoria, Australia, began fundraising in New Zealand in preparation for establishing a branch of their school here.
The RNZFB's Board of Trustees considered the impact of an Australian school opening in New Zealand and decided that the time had come to stop being dependent on overseas services and establish its own.
That decision provided the impetus for the RNZFB's Guide Dog Services opening in April 1973 as part of rehabilitation services, which at that time was based at Homai College in Manurewa.
The incredible efforts of the first two instructors, Brian Peel and Sandy Tocher, are not forgotten. Both were originally trained at the GDBA Bolton Guide Dog School in England and came with several years of guide dog training and instruction experience between them. But they weren't just responsible for training the dogs. They also were involved with fundraising and administration. While the dog training, matching and student training was conducted in Auckland, the breeding and puppy walking was set up and run in Wellington.
We pay tribute to all the early pioneering volunteers from Wellington for their magnificent effort from 1972 to 1986.
In 1977, Barry Hatton took over from Brian and Sandy as the service manager. During his 11 years with Guide Dog Services, Barry raised the quantity of service while at the same time maintaining the quality of services provided, and relocated and commenced the breeding and puppy development programmes in 1986 to Auckland.
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Nowadays, puppy walking occurs in regions throughout NZ, in conjunction with the assessing, matching, training and follow-up services for both guide dogs and their handlers.
There is much to reflect on, and yet still much to strive for. I would personally like to thank all who were and continue to be involved in making GDS what it is today.
Guide Dog Services Record in brief
- 1,288 puppies have been bred since 1986
- Number of graduating guide dog teams 1973 to 1988 - average 6/7 teams per year.
- 2002 - 96 teams graduated.
- Over the past 30 years, 711 teams have graduated. There are over 300 guide dog teams currently working in New Zealand, and offshore.
- The overall success rate of all dogs bred, trained and matched is around 70%, placing RNZFB GDS in the top three of International Guide Dog Schools for the Blind (IFGDSB) accredited guide dog schools worldwide.
- Over 40 full and part-time staff are involved in the guide dog programme.
- There are around 200 "full time" volunteers, providing a staggering amount of support - in excess of 1,000,000 hours each year.
- The service receives no government funding, and has always been and continues to be funded entirely from donations, sponsorship and legacies.
Our million-hour woman
Elda Taylor has clocked up nearly a million hours of voluntary work for Guide Dog Services (GDS).
Despite believing she didn't like dogs, in 1987 Elda was persuaded by the then Guide Dog Services manager, Barry Hatton, to begin nearly two decades of service by puppy walking Eli, a black Labrador Retriever.
"This dog gave me the confidence and enthusiasm to carry on," says Elda, who has since cared for a total of 14 puppies.
Elda, who lives not far from GDS, has also voluntarily taken groups on tours around the centre. From pre-schoolers to adults, overseas guests with interpreters and blind and sighted people, Elda has welcomed, educated and intrigued about 50,000 visitors!
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From the age of eight, Elda's best friend at school was blind. They walked to school together and Elda has never forgotten her friend and companion and, as a result, was keen to do something to help blind people.
"When you see a guide dog working with someone who is blind or vision- impaired, giving them the Rolls Royce of mobility - to see them being so independent - that's a thrill for me," says Elda.
"I appreciate the friendliness of the GDS staff and we're like a family in a team achieving the goals that are set for us."
Our first poodle pups
The first litter of Poodles bred through Guide Dog Services own breeding stock have recently left the whelping box.
The three cream-coloured Standard Poodles are Tirau, (sponsored by the town of Tirau), Trixie (sponsored by Champ), and Thea. Tirau is being puppy-walked in the central North Island whilst Trixie and Thea are being puppy-walked in Auckland.
In the past, Poodle puppies have been sourced from outside breeders. But this time, the puppies' mother, guide dog brood bitch Emily, a trained guide dog, was artificially inseminated with semen from working dog Zeb.
Breeding services manager Lauren Elgie says the pups are absolutely gorgeous.
"They're like little lambs, they still have their long tails. They are very confident, strong, healthy pups and have been very responsive to the small amounts of training they have had so far with basic manners," she says.
High Fliers
Ronny Bruell might be vision and hearing impaired, but he's flying high with his guide dog Ireland.
He describes the Golden Retriever's pace as similar to the Concorde - a perfect match for his own energy levels!
The 61-year-old has competed in 20 Round the Bays runs, enjoys skiing, overseas travel and thinks nothing of going for 10km hikes around Auckland's waterfront with guide dog Ireland.
A former company director, Ronny has Usher's syndrome, causing progressive degeneration
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of his sight and hearing. Despite having just three percent residual vision, with the help of Ireland, Ronny leads a very independent life. Ireland is Ronny's second guide dog.
His first guide dog Spencer is now retired but still lives with Ronny.
Out on their long walks, Ireland knows the command 'Find a seat'. "I'm still trying to teach him a new command 'Find a cold beer' but he hasn't mastered that one yet!"
Jokes aside, Ronny says both his dogs have been a credit to Guide Dog Services, the breeders, puppy walkers, instructors and trainers.
"There are not enough accolades that can be given to them," he says proudly.
Twelve per cent of the more than 300 guide dog handlers are profoundly hearing impaired or deaf in addition to being blind or vision-impaired.
Practice makes perfect puppies
After 32 years and more than 100 puppies, most of which have gone on to become guide dogs, Fiona Sharp is well qualified to write a book.
"Training the Practically Perfect Puppy" is the result of all the questions Fiona has been asked since she has been caring for guide dog brood bitch Cara.
Using guide dog-approved reward and encouragement training methods, Fiona answers questions like: "How do you get your dog to come back when she's free running on the beach?" and "How do you stop a pup from chewing things, chasing cats, or barking?"
Published by Dunmore Press, and retailing at $24.95, the book was launched in March. All of the author's royalties will go to Guide Dog Services.
"The book wouldn't exist if it wasn't for my Guide Dog experience. We've been privileged to be involved and it's nice to be able to draw on that to help other people have dogs as well mannered as guide dogs," Fiona says.