How Guide Dogs help change lives

We often don’t think about the isolation or frustration that people with blindness or low vision can feel in their daily lives. That’s why a Guide Dog can change lives.

A Guide Dog and a white cane can help to provide independence and empower people with blindness or low vision with greater confidence and self-esteem, as they no longer need to rely on the help of others to complete day-to-day tasks.

How a dog supports people with low vision or blindness

Not only is a Guide Dog a mobility aid, but they are also a companion, which as any dog owner could attest, provide huge levels of fulfillment and are an important emotional support to maintain a mental health.

The range of services provided by Guide Dogs Australia enable Australians with low vision or blindness to move around their communities safely and independently, by providing orientation and mobility services.

Other work they do in the community

Not all of the puppies are suited to working with people with low vision or blindness, so instead find themselves working in other roles within the community.

This includes working as therapy dogs, and even brightening the days of people waiting or working within the justice system.   Learn more about those that are working in the NSW Justice System HERE.

Raising a puppy needs our funding support

Raising a Guide Dog doesn’t come cheap though. In fact, it costs $50,000 to breed, raise and train a Guide Dog, so the support of the public and companies like Petstock, through their charity foundation Petstock Foundation, is vital to help this work to continue.

Could you raise a Guide Dog puppy?

Guide Dogs Australia always needs Guide Dog puppy raisers, so to learn more about this and what it entails, check out my post about that HERE.

Of course, if you would like to find out more about their work visit their website.

About the Author: Lara Shannon is a certified dog behaviourist and trainer, pet food nutrition specialist, Executive Producer and Host of Pooches at Play on Channel 10 and editor of Poochesatplay.com. Lara also runs her own dog training business in Melbourne’s Bayside area and is the Author of World of Dogs and Eat, Play, Love Your Dog