As you can see, Hank is growing into a handsome young man for sure. He is great with other animals and takes his role at the allotment Bernadette and her husband have very seriously indeed :)
Champ has been busy over the last few months. At the Botanical Gardens in June. Lunch at Skerries Mills in July. Coffee on the pier in Howth in Aug. He's loving life!
We're delighted that Champ, Izzy and Hank are all really going well in their training and likely to make their way to Cork for formal training in late September or early October.
Izzy is in great form and was on a spot of sightseeing locally last weekend in Glendalough.
Emma, her puppy raiser, is delighted with progress to date as their time together shortens.
Rosie & Jim Sponsor three Irish Guide Dog Puppies!
We are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with the
Irish Guide Dog Association.
As part of the sponsorship Rosie and Jim are funding three puppies for two years. The €30,000 sponsorship covers the dogs vitally important training.
With more than 13,000 registered blind people in Ireland and over 250,000 people impacted by autism, the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind works tirelessly to facilitate those affected by providing them guide and assistance dogs. The average cost of training a dog is in the region of €53,000 and the charity rely on 85% of their funding through sponsorship like this and fundraising to continue to deliver their vital services for free throughout Ireland.
Director of Rosie and Jim, Rosie, says;
“ We are delighted to be involved with the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and look forward to watching our puppies as they grow throughout the year on their way towards becoming a Guide or Assistance Dog, in turn providing a great sense of assurance and independence for families and individuals ”.
At the announcement, John Burke of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind said:
"It is only through the generosity of the public and the support from companies such as Rosie and Jim that we are able to help families of children with autism and those with visual impairment achieve independence and mobility. We thank them for their very generous investment and continued support.”
Puppies at 8 Weeks
Puppies at 3 Weeks
Hank - our handsome boy enjoying his last few weeks with his puppy raiser Bernadette.
The pups will make their way to Cork in the next few weeks for year 2 and formal training will begin.
Exciting times for all three of them - though they are sure to miss their puppy raisers.
Meet Champ and his puppy raiser, Kathy!
Champ is settling in to lovely Howth and is enjoying being beside the sea, which he loves.
Kathy is going through early socialisation training with Champ at the moment and introducing him slowly to more and more crowded public spaces. She will work continuously with her dedicated puppy raising supervisor now to gauge Champ’s reactions to certain situations and how he is settling in at home with Kathy.
Kathy is an experienced raiser and supporter of Irish Guide Dogs.
Photos of Champ - he's growing fast!
Champ with his puppy raiser, Kathy and some adorable photos of him with her grandkids.
These are the last few weeks that Kathy and Champ are together as he will head to HQ in Cork soon for formal training.
It must be very difficult to say goodbye to such a gorgeous dog. Well done on raising a fabulous puppy Kathy!
Meet Izzy and his puppy raiser, Emma!
Izzy is now settling in well in Duleek, Meath with her puppy raiser Emma, but has already made a few trips to Dublin during her early solcialisation.
Emma refers to Izzy as her baby now! She is a great spirited young pup as Emma says and she is taking to her training really well.
Have a look as photos of Izzy, some of her when she first arrived with Emma, and some recent ones also.
Photos of Izzy - he's growing fast!
Hank is a hard worker on the farm and likes to hang out with his farm friends!
A lovely shot of him at home having some fun! What a cheeky chap :)
Meet Hank and his puppy raiser, Bernadette!
Hank is settling in to life in Sandyford with his puppy raiser, Bernadette.
Hank is Bernadette’s 7th puppy she has raised so he is in good hands! He is a bit of a cheeky chappy and a bit of a character, something that Izzy has shown also. Their raisers are finding it hard to be too hard on them. Training for Hank is also going very well at present and presenting to be a very quick learner.
Photos of Hank - he's growing fast!
Here's Izzy on a recent trip to Kerry! She loves to travel and explore new places :)
Here's Hank enjoying some Christmas shopping and looking forward to a visit from Santa!
Thanks to his raiser Bernadette for these lovely photos of Hank. He's a real beauty :)
