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Volunteer Highlight: Dee

Behind every Guide Dog is someone who raised them with love.

For Dee, it started with Jaymie – a curious, energetic pup and her first experience as a Puppy Raiser. At the time, Dee wasn’t ready for a dog of her own, but she was ready to give back.

What she didn’t expect was how deeply the experience would impact her.

Since Jaymie, Dee has welcomed many pups into her life – sometimes for a day, sometimes for months. She’s raised, co-parented, and provided temporary care, all with one goal in mind: to help shape confident, capable dogs who can one day transform someone’s life.

“The satisfaction of observing a pup grow, working with them through their training, and witnessing their development into potential service dogs is a significant reward that outweighs the challenges involved” Dee says.

Her favourite part?

“Knowing that my efforts contribute to providing someone with increased independence is very rewarding. The pups I care for and train will eventually go out into the community and offer valuable assistance to another person (and the puppy cuddles are definitely a bonus!)”

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to raise a future Guide Dog, Dee has simple advice:

“Do it! – attending an information session is a good way to understand what the commitment involves. Guide Dogs offers excellent support and it’s also an opportunity to connect with a community of like-minded individuals working towards a shared goal.”

Thank you Dee for sharing your journey with us, and to all of our volunteers who help support us deliver vital services to the blind and low vision community.

Want to become a Puppy Raiser and raise the next generation of Guide Dogs just like Dee? Head to our website for more information.