Guide Dogs of Tomorrow!

If you’ve visited Bayfair recently you may well have seen trainee guide dog puppies pounding the aisles and pavements. These outstanding animals are brought into the centre by their handlers to hone the skills they need to assist local blind, deafblind and vision-impaired people get around safely with greater speed, confidence and independence.

 

Negotiating traffic in the carparks, locating common destinations such as the supermarket, travelling on public transport and dealing with travelators are all part of becoming a world-class guide dog. That not only takes time, about eighteen months to be precise, but also requires funding. Did you know that breeding and training each guide dog costs Guide Dog Services $22,500?

 

As part of Bayfair’s recent ‘Feel Good February’ promotional campaign, $500 was raised for this wonderful organisation. Every time customers shopped at Bayfair between 16 February and 1 March and entered the prize draw to win back the value of their purchase, their entry form was also counted and converted into cash for the puppies!

 

Next time you’re in Bayfair watch out for our local guide dog puppies as they progress on the path to graduation. Two stars who currently make regular appearances are Guide dog puppy Pearson, a Labrador retriever puppy walked by Ted Joyce and Guide Dog puppy Farley, a standard poodle, in training with Wendy Isaacs.

 

If you are keen to learn more about the RNZFB Guide Dog Services check out www.rnzfb.org.nz.