Would you like to help someone who is blind or have low vision? You can by raising a Seeing Eye Dogs puppy!
A library could be a perfect place for one of our puppies to learn and grow with you as a volunteer puppy carer. Many of our puppies have made themselves at home with puppy carers in schools, offices and libraries including the Vision Australia Library.
Seeing Eye Dogs puppy in training Virgil goes to work with his puppy carer Lucie at the Kingswood Primary School library (pictured). Here’s what she had to say about the experience:
“For the past 2 months, Virgil has been coming into work with me in the Kingswood Primary School library.
As to what Virgil has brought to the School community, this is immeasurable. The students, staff and parent community are so happy to see him, give him a pat, or just watch him sleeping. There is a calmness and happiness that is generated from having a dog around that is so beautiful to see.
As long as Virgil’s eating, sleeping and toileting routines are adhered to, he is a joy to take to work and no trouble at all. I can’t imagine going to work without him.”
Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs are on the look out for community-minded people to join us as puppy carers for 6 or 12 months, to provide love and guidance to a puppy who may go on to change lives. Applications are open across most areas of metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, and Mornington Peninsula, and across all different home types, including apartments and units. From single person households to families with children of all ages, full time workers to retirees, stay-at-home parents or those who work with local groups, our volunteering community is as broad and diverse as a library catalogue!
Our volunteer carers are responsible for teaching basic obedience cues, socialising pup in public places and having nice home manners, supported by our dedicated team of Puppy Development Trainers throughout the pups stay. All equipment, food and medical care is covered, so there is no cost to the puppy carer besides time and dedication.
If you’d like to find out more about this rewarding opportunity and how puppy caring may work at your workplace, please come along to one of our puppy caring information sessions, we’d love to see you there!
For more information on Seeing Eye Dogs please head to our website here: www.sed.visionaustralia.org/ or for the puppy caring information sessions register here: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/puppy-caring/information-session
If you could help spread the word with flyers or a poster in your library, please let us know and we would love your help. Email [email protected]