Call For Puppy Raisers: International Guide Dog Day
Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs is appealing for puppy raisers in Auckland as International Guide Dog Day rolls out on Wednesday.
Sara Leavy has been a puppy raiser for Blind Low Vision NZ for the past 3 years.
The Stanley Point resident, on Auckland's North Shore, is relishing raising third pup Emma.
Her first two charges Ivy and Aztec both qualified for the guide dogs programme, which only accepts the best dogs.
Getting the phone call to hear your pup has been matched is one of the best moments, Leavy said.
“It makes you so unbelievably happy and weepy," she said.
“To know that after all the work that’s gone into the pup – from the breeding centre, trainers, vets, boarders, as well as our patience and time – has all been worth it.
"That the dog will now meet their new handler and together they will be a team, exploring the world together, is an amazing feeling.”
Saying goodbye to a pup as they left for formal training was a mixture of sadness and excitement, she said.
“I have three kids and I see the pups like my kids. I want to make them well socialised, well-mannered and then I want them to go out into the big wide world as a working adult making a difference.”
Her youngest son, smitten with their first puppy, started to research the difference guide dogs made in people’s lives.
“He would talk about a girl who had become blind at 13 years old and hadn’t left the house until she got her first guide dog at 17," Leavy said.
Her world just opened up.
Rochelle Corrigan, Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs Puppy Placement and Development Manager said puppy raisers were essential.
“Our puppies need to have as many experiences and social outings as possible in the first year of their lives to best prepare them for life as a guide dog and this could simply not be achieved without the dedication of our fantastic volunteers.”
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.4% Summer
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36.1% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
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