The guide dog mums spending Mother's Day together

Connie, Sophie and Coco are three generations of guide dog mums who live with charity volunteer Linda Atkins

Three generations of guide dog mums are spending their first Mother’s Day together after the youngest of the trio moved into the elder pair's home.

Labradors Connie, her daughter Sophie, and granddaughter Coco have the special job of bringing future guide dogs into the world, and have been reunited just in time for Sunday's special occasion.

Linda Atkins, a volunteer with the Guide Dogs charity, first gave a home to Connie in 2012.

But after Coco's arrival to Ms Atkins' Stratford-upon-Avon property in January, celebrations are set to be three times better.

"She loved her puppies and loved being a mum," Mrs Atkins said of Connie

“On Mother’s Day, the girls will all go for their normal morning walk and free run and will then return home where we’ll have Sunday dinner with my daughter and her three children," Mrs Atkins explained.

Under the charity's breeding programme, a guide dog mum-to-be lives with a volunteer like any other pet dog, with all costs covered, and when the time is right, she gives birth at the volunteer's home.

The puppies then remain there for about eight weeks before they move out for the first stages of their training.

Connie, a yellow Labrador, had four litters of pups for the sight loss charity before retiring at the age of six.

Mrs Atkins loved facilitating Connie's retirement so much that she decided to also give a home to Connie’s daughter Sophie, a black Labrador who came from her final litter.

With Sophie having three litters of pups herself before retiring earlier this year, Mrs Atkins was given the opportunity to home Sophie’s daughter Coco, also a black Labrador, and she moved in with mother and grandmother on 31 January.

Connie with her puppies

Mrs Atkins was originally a puppy-raiser for Guide Dogs, where volunteers have a puppy living with them for a year before they move out for training.

She said: "I decided I wanted a dog from the charity that could live with me permanently, and that’s when we decided to give a home to guide dog mum Connie."

Connie had her first litter in 2013, a couple of weeks before Christmas.

“My husband, Julian, is very good at being an assistant midwife and helping with the cleaning up," Mrs Atkins said.

“It was a different Christmas having guide dog puppies at home, but it was great.”

Granddaughter Coco could have her first litter next year

Mrs Atkins, who has helped care for more than 50 puppies, hopes that Coco will have her first litter next year.

She said: “Connie, Sophie and Coco all get on really well together. Coco is respectful of her grandmother and enjoys playing with her mother.

“It’s so nice being part of the Guide Dogs community. You’re helping people with sight loss and enjoying doing it at the same time, so it’s a win-win."