A walk on the wild side for Guide Dog puppies at Twycross Zoo

ExCo

Accompanied by their volunteer puppy raisers, who care for them during the first year of their lives, Olwen, Buttons, Seamus, Ellie, Kaleb and Lynton were able to explore all outdoor areas of the iconic zoo in the East Midlands for the very first time.

It comes as the sight loss charity is calling for more volunteer puppy raisers in South Derbyshire and Leicestershire. They play a vital role in providing this crucial socialisation for the dogs, who will go on to help people with sight loss live independent lives.

Guide Dogs puppy development supervisor Jenny Mee said: “Once qualified as a guide dog, they may well visit a zoo, safari park or farm with their owner and we want them to be able to do this without being overwhelmed, so it's really important their volunteer puppy raisers bring them to places like this.

“They need to experience as many different sights, sounds and smells as possible, to build their confidence and help prepare them for their future roles as guide dogs.”

“The pups behaved so fantastically well at Twycross. They really enjoyed seeing (and smelling) some of the animals there. The penguins seemed particularly taken with them and kept swimming up to them at the glass window to take a closer look!

The puppy raisers who brought them to the zoo, play a vital role in providing this crucial socialisation for the dogs, who will go on to help people with sight loss live independent lives and more of these volunteers are needed in Leicestershire and the wider East Midlands.

Jenny also said: “We are on the look-out for new puppy raisers who can welcome one of our pups into their homes for the first year of their life and help support them to become future life changers.

Lynton’s puppy raisers Laura and Neil Firth said: “Lynton especially enjoyed seeing the penguins and practicing walking through puddles.

He is our first puppy and we are both enjoying seeing how his training is shaping him to be a lovely natured, well behaved and nicely mannered young man.

“If anyone is considering becoming a puppy raiser it is so worth-while, you will be helping to change someone's life in the future by giving them their independence”.

Guide Dogs is training more dogs to help the 2 million people in the UK living with sight loss. Our puppy raisers provide a 6-8 week-old puppy with the vital foundation for its future role as a guide dog, looking after them for 12-16 months and guiding them through training, socialisation, and the introduction of new environments and experiences while providing a loving home.

For more information about becoming a volunteer Puppy Raiser, visit guidedogs.org.uk/volunteer.