The search is on to find foster homes for guide dogs in the Wick area
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An appeal has been launched to find foster homes for guide dogs in the Wick area while they go through training within Caithness.
Guide dog mobility specialist Fiona McAulay said she was delighted to be given the exciting opportunity to recruit some local volunteers to provide foster homes for young guide dogs while she trains them.
Moving to the county about two-and-a-half years ago, Fiona has continued working remotely for Guide Dogs Scotland, an organisation she has been with for 33 years, starting at the age of 18 in the kennels. Although now based near Keiss, she works along with the Glasgow team covering the Highlands and Islands.
Delighted to raise the profile of the work being done in the area, the specialist said: "What I am looking for is probably two foster homes to take dogs – then I would like another couple of homes that would provide respite care."
The volunteer fosterers would keep the dogs in their own homes for up to 20 weeks with Fiona going to pick them up for training four days a week, in the mornings and evenings. Sometimes the sessions might involve trips to Inverness.
She will give the volunteers tips on how to work with the young dogs themselves, such as how to work them on the lead while letting them enjoy life too. "It is good for them to have that down time, it is quite hard training," she said.
Commenting on the partnership between a registered blind woman in Watten, Caron Jones, and her young guide dog called Qantas, Fiona said: "They are a lovely partnership. "I love working between the clients and the dogs. Just seeing people get out on their own – it is just fantastic. The lady in Watten is amazing, it is her first guide dog."
Caron feels it is important to have someone in Caithness from Guide Dogs Scotland. She qualified for her guide dog, a three-year-old Labrador cross golden retriever, in July last year and has had him about 11 months.
Her five-week training was provided by Fiona who collected Qantas and took him up to the county to allow the sessions to be carried out locally.
"People who do fostering are incredible people because they know, at the end of the time, they have to hand the dogs over to someone," said Caron. "The dogs have gone on to do great things. I would not have the freedom that I have now if I didn't have Qantas."
Fiona is keen to home dogs within a 10-mile radius of her home. She pointed out: "Ideally around the Wick area is best. The dogs I would probably get would be roughly 14-15 months, just getting started with their harness training."
For more information contact Aaron Puckrin, volunteering co-ordinator, by email: aaron.puckrin@guidedogs.org.uk
Find out more at guidedogs.org.uk/boarding or call 03451430191.
