Guide dog charity appeals for more fosterers

Richard Pascoe has been raising Chrissie for about 12 weeks

A charity is looking for more people to foster and raise guide dog puppies in Jersey.

The Guide Dogs charity said fosterers provided a loving temporary home to a dog in training as part of support for puppy raisers when they are unable to home the puppy for holidays or other commitments.

However, there are currently no fosterers in Jersey at the moment, meaning puppies have to go to the UK or fosterers have to come to the island when their raiser is unable to care for them.

Richard Pascoe, who is raising 16-week-old Christie, said having fosterers was "like a safety valve" for him and having more volunteers "makes a massive difference to us".

Chrissie will stay with Richard for between 12 and 18 months

Mr Pascoe and his wife Yvonne are raising Chrissie as part of their work with Guide Dogs.

Puppy raisers receive training and are supported by a puppy development advisor, with the charity paying for all essential costs, including food and vet bills.

Mr Pascoe said "we very rarely get to call on the fosterers" because there are none in Jersey currently.

"I'm off next week for a couple of weeks on a holiday and we've got a foster coming over from the UK to stay here and look after Chrissie for two weeks," he said.

Jenny Stafford, with her guide dog Nan, backed the Guide Dogs charity's calls for more volunteers

Jenny Stafford is severely visually impaired and relies on her guide dog Nan for her independence.

She said puppy raisers like Mr Pascoe were "the backbone of the charity" and if the puppy completed its training "they will go on to change somebody's life for the better".

Ms Stafford also called for more people to foster puppies as well.

"It's important that the fosterers are in Jersey," she said.

Elle Blampied was interested in learning more about raising a puppy guide dog

The Guide Dogs charity held an event earlier this month to encourage more people in the island to either raise or foster a puppy

Elle Blampied, who was at the event, said: "You see how they literally change lives.

"If that's something I could help with, with those initial stages, then that would be great.

"I think it's a massive commitment, so it needs to be right for you, and it needs to be right for the dog too."

Leah Rogers, who is the charity's puppy raising operations manager for the South West, said those who volunteer make a "huge difference".

"They are our starting blocks there are foundations for a guide dog," she said.

"We want to recruit around about five at the moment but we can take on as many puppy fosterers as necessary really to support those puppy raisers because at the moment we do have to move those puppies back to the mainland for fostering."