Volunteers urgently needed in Sheffield to foster guide dogs in training

Volunteer fosterers for the charity provide temporary homes for future guide dogs, as they complete their specialised training. Guide Dogs covers the cost of all the food, veterinary care and equipment required for each dog and provides full training and support. Catherine Hubbard, Regional Volunteering Partner at Guide Dogs, said: “This is a great opportunity for an individual or a family to care for a dog, on a temporary basis, with all the costs covered. “On weekdays, the dog you are caring for will attend training sessions with a local, specialist trainer from Guide Dogs. “Dogs will either be collected from you, or will need to be dropped off at our training site, just like the school run! On evenings and weekends, the dog will then spend time with you and enjoy time out from training sessions. “After a few months, the dog will hopefully qualify and move on to be partnered with a local person living with sight loss, becoming a life-changing guide. “Our Volunteer Fosterers really are an integral part of the guide dog journey – without them, we simply couldn’t deliver our life changing work.” A guide dog begins its formal training at around 12-14 months old and, in usual circumstances, most dogs qualify as working guide dogs by the age of two. Volunteer Fosterers usually care for dogs that are between 14-24 months of age and will look after a dog for up to a few months at a time.

The two main breeds the charity uses are Labradors and Golden Retrievers, which are crossed to gain the best characteristics of each breed. These make up almost 80 per cent of the charity’s dogs. German Shepherds, Curly Coat Retrievers and Labrador-Poodle crosses are also used.

Guide Dogs is particularly keen to hear from people who live in S9 postcodes or are near to Tinsley, Meadowhall and Rotherham, but will also accept applications from further afield if people are able to commit to travelling to the S9 postcode area to drop off and collect a dog. If you think you could provide a loving, temporary home for a trainee guide dog, visit https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/volunteering to apply or call 0800 781 1444.