Guide Dogs is appealing for volunteers in Chiswick and Hammersmith to board its trainee dogs. Volunteer boarders provide a bed and breakfast service for guide dogs in training for around 3 months.

Boarders must be willing to have the trainee guide dog in their home at evenings and at weekends. The dogs in training will go to work 9 – 5, so you just need to be there for them at the beginning and end of the day and at weekends. You will need to be at home between 7am and 8am so that the Guide Dog Mobility Instructor can take the dog to work and then between 4pm and 6pm so that the dog can be dropped off.

Pippa Block, Regional Volunteering Advisor at Guide Dogs explains: “This is a fantastic opportunity to have the benefits of caring for a dog without the full-time responsibility. It’s also very rewarding to be involved in the upbringing and training of a guide dog, which will one day provide freedom and independence to a blind or partially-sighted person.”

If boarders have a garden, it will need to be safe, secure and enclosed, so that the dog cannot escape. Or if there isn’t a garden, ideally there will be a concrete area for the dog to relieve itself. The charity supplies basic equipment and covers all veterinary and feeding expenses. Advice is also given regarding handling skills, basic first aid and the general care and welfare of the dog. Consistent support is available from a friendly team of specialist Guide Dogs staff.

The Association currently has around 4,500 working guide dogs, and with each animal averaging a working life of six to seven years, it is essential that the charity finds enough homes to bring the next generation of trainee dogs closer to areas where their future visually impaired partners live.

180,000 blind and partially sighted people never leave home alone. Guide Dogs is working to change this and the charity has vowed that it will not rest until blind and partially sighted people can enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else.

It costs £5 per day to support each working guide dog partnership. The guide dog service receives no government funding and depends entirely on public support.
Guide Dogs has over 10,000 amazing volunteers who save the charity an estimated £28 million per year by giving us their time.

As well, as boarding a dog, there are plenty of other ways that you can help the charity. They are looking for volunteers to help at events and collections as well as lots more. Further information on becoming a volunteer is available by phoning Guide Dogs on 0845 371 7771 or email volunteer@guidedogs.org.uk

January 31, 2012