Guide Dogs is urgently appealing for volunteers in Waverley to help care for trainee guide dogs while they prepare to provide life-changing support for someone living with sight loss. Volunteers are needed in two key roles – Puppy Raisers and Fosterers.

Puppy Raisers welcome young puppies into their homes, nurturing them from 8 weeks old until they’re ready to begin formal training. During this time, these volunteers teach basic obedience, expose the puppies to various environments, and support their socialisation.

As a Volunteer Fosterer, you’ll provide a temporary home for a future guide dog in the advanced stages of its training, typically between 14-24 months of age. Fosterers are asked to drop off and pick up the dog each day at the charity’s centre in Tinsley, similar to a ‘school run’ and give the dog a comfortable and loving environment during evenings and weekends.

Melanie Brown, Volunteering Attraction Coordinator for Guide Dogs in Sheffield, said: “As the need for our services continues to grow and we bring more dogs through our breeding and training programmes, we need more volunteers to support our puppies and training dogs. If you think you could provide a loving temporary home, please reach out!”

Guide Dogs primarily works with Labradors and Golden Retrievers, often crossing the two to capture the best qualities of each breed. These breeds make up nearly 80 percent of Guide Dogs’ program, valued for their temperament and trainability.

If you’d like to make a difference and help a future guide dog on its journey, please apply to volunteer with Guide Dogs by visiting guidedogs.org.uk/volunteering