Here's a few photos of our lovely sponsored guide dog Champ at Claremount Beach!
Thanks to his raiser Kathy for these great shots! :-)
Callum, who works in our kennels in Cork is taking care of Hank at home for now.
Here he is getting his daily exercise on a Cork beach, keeping within 2k from home ;-)
Introducing our new Irish Guide Dog pups - Pebbles, Pepe and Percy.
As part of the ongoing sponsorship Rosie & Jim are funding three new puppies for two years. The €30,000 sponsorship covers their vitally important training. With more than 270,000 people who have a visual impairment in Ireland and over 1% of the population 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. Their services are offered free of charge.
John Burke of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind said:
“Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind is proud to have Rosie & Jim come on board once again with this wonderful support. We are very fortunate to have such valued supporters who have been instrumental in helping to train our dogs and to truly help change lives. As the P litter enter their puppy raising phase and on to their formal training, we look forward to updating you all on their progress. Thank you again for the amazing support”
The puppies were named by our lovely customers in a competition. Thanks to our winners Sinead Walker, Emer Mary Breen & Sinead O'Rouke for these great names - Pebbles, Pepe and Percy!
Here is the adorable Izzy (and friends) on her recent trip to Connemara over the holidays.
Thanks to her raiser Emma for these gorgeous photos. She's a stunning dog and looks like she's loving life with her friends.
Champ has been moved to the Guide Dog Programme and away from the Assistance Dog programme (for a child with autism) because of the strong levels of confidence he has begun to display! He's making excellent progress and he is displaying all the rights traits to be good Guide Dog. Well done Champ! We're proud of you :)
Here is Pebbles, lovely photos and a great detailed update from puppy raiser, Niamh...
“Pebbles is now 8 months old and her confidence is growing more each week. She has been to Smyths and Nimble Fingers where she walks beautifully past the plushies even though these are her absolute favourite. She has been to many restaurants and cafés and has patiently accompanied her raiser grocery shopping in Dunnes and ALDI. The sheep figure outside Fenelons butcher in Stillorgan caused her some consternation at first but now she sails past - even though her nose tilts towards the aromas wafting from the butcher. She visited Dundrum Shopping Centre in the evening when it was quiet and popped into the cinema for a brief visit to a movie. She was alarmed at first walking into the darkness but an offer of cheese sealed the deal and she lay down happily keeping her attention on the lovely treats she received while she was there. She has met her brother Pepe and another trainee puppy called Dillon for free runs and her recall is strong even when she's zooming around with her friends”
We're thrilled to hear she is doing so well. And she got to meet her brother Pepe - one of our other sponsored dogs. Well done Pebbles! 
Hank and his puppy raiser, Bernadette, are doing really well. He is settling down a lot she said and really concentrating on his training.
Kathy sent on some gorgeous photos of Champ. As you can see he is doing really well and is currenty on his holidays in Wicklow :)
Izzy on a recent trip to Connemara. Training is going really well with Emma and Izzy is proving to be a very confident and outgoing little one.
The dogs are now back training properly, albeit with some necessary restrictions in place but none impactful on the dogs at all.
Here is Champ out training in Cork with trainer, Cliodhna. He has his Guide Dog harness and training is all going very well.
Izzy is working with trainer Ciara and is going to soon graduate as a Guide Dog.
Hank has been working with trainer, Martin and he should be able to begin training with the family soon.
Here he is with his blue harness which denotes him as a proud Assistance Dog graduate! He has been matched to a family in Cork who’s son has autism and will begin home training with them in the next week or so. Strict measures will be in place for the trainers as they work with the family and PPE equipment will be used.
We're thrilled to see the first of the three dogs graduate on to one of the programmes! Well done Hank!
Pepe & Percy - 2 of our 3 sponsored Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Rosie and Jim's Dog Sponsorship: Three More Success Stories!
We're thrilled to share some wonderful news from our friends at Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind! The three puppies we've been sponsoring have all reached significant milestones in their journeys to become working dogs, and we couldn't be prouder.
Percy: The Community Dog
Percy has officially joined the Community Dog programme and will be working at a school in Lucan. He's been partnered with one of the teachers there who will bring him to school most days. As a Community Dog, Percy will help support children in an educational setting, providing comfort, building confidence, and helping children develop social skills.
Community Dogs work with professionals in education, healthcare and community settings, using animal-assisted intervention techniques to help people achieve specific goals. These amazing dogs can make a tremendous difference in children's lives, particularly those with additional needs.
Pebbles: The Future Matriarch
Pebbles has been selected for an equally important role as a breeding mom based in Mayo. She'll be contributing to the future of the programme by producing the next generation of guide, assistance, and community puppies. This selection speaks volumes about her excellent temperament and health - only the best dogs are chosen for this vital role in ensuring the sustainability of these life-changing services.
Pepe: The Assistance Dog
Last but certainly not least, Pepe has qualified as an Assistance Dog! He's been placed with a family in Tallaght who have a son with autism. This family applied to the programme in 2023, so it's particularly heartwarming to see this perfect match come together for their little boy. Assistance Dogs provide invaluable support for children with autism, helping to reduce anxiety, prevent wandering, improve social interactions, and provide a constant, calming presence.
A Word of Thanks from Irish Guide Dogs
John from Irish Guide Dogs shared this lovely message with us:
“On behalf of everyone at the Irish Guide Dogs, thank you all so very much for the support of these three amazing dogs who join a long list of dogs supported by Rosie and Jim. Please pass all our thanks on to everyone there for making this all happen. You guys are amazing!”
We are incredibly proud to support the life-changing work of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. These stories are a testament to the impact of their programmes—and the dedication of their teams. From all of us at Rosie & Jim, thank you for the opportunity to be part of this journey.
To learn more about the Community Dog programme mentioned in this post, visit the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind website.
Some lovely photos of Hank with, Yoko, who is being minded by his puppy raiser, Bernadette, for a few days. He is really enjoying himself with his new friend. Training is going well for him. He is finding his independence and displaying a better temperament each week.
It’s hard to believe that two years have come to an end but we are thrilled that the support we have given to Irish Guide Dogs now has a happy ending for all.
We are delighted to report the outcome of the 3 pups we sponsored back at the end of 2018 have had the following results:
Izzy – is now a Guide Dog with a lady in Cork
Champ – is now a Guide Dog with a gentleman in Louth
Hank – is now an Assistance Dog for a family in Cork who’s son has autism. He has been in training with them since last month.
Amazing! Well done to the Team of raisers and trainers at Irish Guide Dogs!
"We really cannot thank you enough for all you have done for the 3 dogs and indeed those three lives you have truly changed. We are so very grateful and thank you sincerely."
- John Burke of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind
Thanks to Kathy, Champ's minder for taking these wonderful photos of Champ. He had the company of another puppy, Orbit, in training recently. How cute are they together?!
His training going very well. He is excellent in the house apart from waking up too early! He is walking very well, stops a bit to check things out but quickly continues on. His recall is very good.
He is growing into a fine handsome dog and loves his free runs away from the training.
