Call for volunteers in Yaxley and Hampton to temporarily home trainee guide dogs

Sight loss charity Guide Dogs has put out an urgent appeal for people living in Yaxley and Hampton to provide temporary accommodation for trainee guide dogs.

The charity is desperately looking to recruit more ‘volunteer fosterers’ in these areas.

The role essentially requires people to provide temporary homes for dogs, during evenings and at weekends, as the animals complete the latter stages of their guide dog training.

All costs associated with homing and feeding the dogs will be covered by the charity.

Jennie Docherty is the Guide Dog Mobility Specialist responsible for training guide dogs in the local area.

She said: “We urgently need more local temporary homes for our trainee guide dogs so we can continue training these life-changing dogs for people with sight loss.”

A guide dog begins its formal training at around 12-14 months old.

It is normally the case that most dogs qualify as working guide dogs by the age of two.

Jennie described becoming a volunteer fosterer is “a great way to experience having a dog at home, without the full-time commitment or cost involved.”

The volunteer role is, she explained, pretty straightforward:

“On weekdays, I would collect the trainee guide dog you are looking after from your home and work on its specialist guide dog training.”

“On weekends, you can enjoy the company of one of our dogs, who will hopefully go on to change someone’s life.”

Volunteer fosterers would be asked to look after dogs who are around 17 months of age for around 10-12 weeks. After this, the dog will move on to complete the final stages of their guide dog training with someone living with sight loss.

Jennie issued one final plea to any dog lovers resident in the areas: “If you live in Yaxley or Hampton and think you could help us, then please do get in touch,” she said.

“We wouldn’t be able to keep our guide dog service running without the support from our amazing Volunteer Fosterers.”

Anybody who thinks they could provide a loving, temporary home for a trainee guide dog in Yaxley or Hampton is encouraged to contact Volunteering Coordinator Melanie Brown via [email protected], or call 0800 781 1444.