Breeding Dog Volunteer - Brood
Guide Dogs
Location
Time Commitment
Contact Details
This role is available to volunteers in the Droitwich area who live within an hour’s drive of our Guide Dogs National Centre, just outside Leamington Spa, CV33 9QJ.
Long Term, Full Time
Verity O’Donnell
0345 1430191
About the Role
Could you provide a loving home for a guide dog mum?
We urgently need more breeding dog volunteers to look after our guide dog mums and help us raise the next generation of life-changing guide dogs for people with sight loss.
This vital volunteer role is perfect for dog-lovers who are looking for a permanent addition to their family. Most of the time your guide dog mum will be a wonderful, pet dog, then roughly once a year you’ll also get to enjoy the company of a litter of her guide dog puppies for around 7 weeks. You’ll see her puppies grow in just a matter of weeks – from tiny newborns with closed eyes, to excitable bundles of fur ready to explore the world. And, when the pups are ready to go, you’ll feel a huge sense of pride knowing you’ve made a big difference by raising life-changing guide dogs for people with sight loss.
Our guide dog mums are perfect for families. They’re specially selected for their ideal temperament and characteristics and have the very best guide dog genes. She’ll also arrive socialised and house trained!
We cover all the costs for our guide dog mums, including her food, vet bills and any equipment or bedding she needs. We’ll also provide all the training you need to look after her and her puppies. In addition, you’ll have the full support of our expert dog behaviour and welfare teams and dedicated 24/7 support from our specialist breeding team.
This opportunity is unique to the Midlands as our breeding dog volunteers must live within an hour’s drive of our National Centre, just outside Leamington Spa, CV33 9QJ.
To find out more about this rewarding role as well as many other volunteering opportunities that we have available, and to apply, please visit our website www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help
Additionally, you can always drop us a line at VolunteerMidlands@guidedogs.org.uk and we would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
We look forward to welcoming you as a volunteer soon!
Skills and Qualifications
The welfare of our mums and pups is our top priority. Most importantly we’re looking for loving homes for our dogs.
Our breeding dog volunteers need to live within an hour’s drive of our National Centre in Leamington Spa, so we can support you and your dogs.
You’ll need to have a car and be able to travel to our National Centre when the time is right to prepare your guide dog mum for her litter of pups.
Your home will need an area suitable for your guide dog mum to give birth and you’ll need access to a secure garden.
When your guide dog mum has had her puppies, you’ll need to be available to look after them at home for around seven weeks.
We ask that our dogs are never left at home alone for more than 4 hours per day.
We’re unable to place our guide dog mums in homes with male dogs who have not been neutered.
About the Organisation
We are Guide Dogs. And we’re here to help people with sight loss live the life they choose.
Over the years we’ve developed a wide range of services with and without dogs to support people living with a vision impairment. Children and adults. Friends and family. Whoever you are, our expert staff, dedicated volunteers and life-changing dogs are here to help you live actively, independently, and well.
We’re a charity, almost entirely funded by donations, and we are the world’s largest assistance dog organisation. As world leaders in puppy socialisation and dog training, we’re the only organisation to breed and train guide dogs in the UK. We’re also the largest employer of specialists dedicated to helping children and young people overcome the challenges of sight loss.
Volunteering with Guide Dogs is life-changing – and not just for the people we support. Join one of our amazing roles and be part of the pack and you’ll quickly see how the time you give benefits people with sight loss, our four-legged friends and you!