Woman from Boston raises guide dog puppy, after being inspired by her cousin’s guide dog
'What guide dog puppies do in their later life makes such a huge difference to their owner, and I’ve seen that first-hand. I know that Mason will make such a difference – he will be someone’s eyes in the future.'
133","classid":1073872969,"properties":[469777841,"times="" new="" roman",469777842,"times="" roman",469777843,"times="" roman",469777844,"times="" roman",469769226,"times="" roman",335551547,"2057",335559739,"0",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",268442635,"24",335559704,"1025",335559705,"2057",469775450,"paragraph",201340122,"2",134233614,"true",469778129,"paragraph",335572020,"1",134233118,"true",134233117,"true",469778324,"normal"]">A woman from Boston has spent the last year raising a guide dog puppy, after seeing first-hand the difference a guide dog can make to someone living with sight loss.
Emily Presgrave, from Boston, is currently looking after 10-month-old guide dog puppy Mason, who is a Labrador cross Golden Retriever.
Her cousin, Mark Dickinson, also from Boston, has been supported by his guide dog, Dougal, for the last five years.
Emily explains: “Mark developed Stargardt Disease very suddenly. He went from having 20/20 vision to being registered legally blind within 18 months.
“It took a massive toll on his mental health. He couldn’t do his job and he was relying on taxis to get around.
“Dougal gave Mark total confidence and, most importantly, his independence back and made his whole life much more bearable – he trusts Dougal implicitly.
“It was amazing to see the impact Dougal had made and realise how you can actually train a dog to do the things that he does.”
Emily ran the London Marathon for Guide Dogs last year, and after this received an email appealing for Puppy Raisers.
She explains: “I saw the opportunity to become a Puppy Raiser and thought, why not, I’ve got no other priorities in my life.
“Last September, Mason arrived with me. I’ve never had a dog before, and we’ve never had a dog in our immediate family.
“I was expecting sleepless nights, but he was a dream pup. He was restless for about 20 minutes the first night, but after that he was fine.”
134","classid":1073872969,"properties":[201342447,"5",201342448,"1",469777841,"arial",469777842,"",469777843,"calibri",469777844,"arial",469769226,"arial,calibri",268442635,"24",469775450,"normaltextrun",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"normaltextrun",335572020,"1",469778324,"default="" paragraph="" font"]">Volunteer Puppy Raisers for Guide Dogs look after pups for around 12 months, teaching them basic commands and introducing them to different social environments. 135","classid":1073872969,"properties":[201342447,"5",201342448,"1",469777841,"arial",469777842,"",469777843,"calibri",469777844,"arial",469769226,"arial,calibri",268442635,"24",469775450,"eop",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"eop",335572020,"1",469778324,"default="" paragraph="" font"]">All the costs involved, such as food and vet bills, are paid for by the charity.
Emily explains: “I am a Project Manager in the construction industry and Mason comes to work with me every day and plays with other dogs in the office.
“Because of the support I’ve had from Guide Dogs, he has done so well in his training – he is a dream to be with.
“Mason adores Dougal. Dougal wasn’t sure of him as a puppy, but he loves him now.
“When I first considered becoming a Puppy Raiser - I considered how hard it would be to let go of a puppy that I had raised from an eight-week-old.
“But what I hadn’t considered was just how many people would also take him into their hearts and homes and love him just as much as I do!
“It will be really hard for us all when he leaves, but we all know the important job that he is going on to have - he’s going to do big things.
“I’ll definitely carry on puppy raising for Guide Dogs, and plan to have another pup at the end of September.
“What guide dog puppies do in their later life makes such a huge difference to their owner, and I’ve seen that first-hand. I know that Mason will make such a difference – he will be someone’s eyes in the future.”
Guide Dogs is currently recruiting for more Puppy Raisers in Lincolnshire. To find out more, contact Volunteering Coordinator Melanie Brown via [email protected] or call 0800 781 1444.