Helping to turn puppies into guide dogs

It's more than just puppy love that prompted locals Martin Finucane and Billy and Mary Gallagher to get involved in the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy walking initiative. Instead, the trio were motivated to take on the task of training two puppies to become guide dogs as they know how valuable and coveted guide dogs were. Martin said it was easy to get involved in the programme when you think about how much good the dog Billy explained there are currently 240 people across the country on a waiting list for a guide dog or assistance dog. While the programme is new to the midlands area, the local branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind is hoping to have five puppies in training in the area soon. The programme essentially sees families acting like a foster family to the puppy for about 14 months. The puppies receives discipline and social skills training before being brought to the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind training centre in Cork where they undergo more intensive training in how to become a guide dog or assistance dog. Guide dogs help people who are visually impaired, while assistance dogs can help children with autism and have a calming effect on the child. All of the puppies are trained as guide dogs in the Cork centre and are then evaluated to see which role would best suit. Some of the dogs aren't suited to being either a guide dog or an assistance dog and these can sometimes become companion dogs to elderly people. Mary explained that if the dogs didn't fit into any of these three categories, they will be offered to the puppy walker as a pet. Martin and his family, who are from Ballykeeran, have taken on the task of training puppy 'Lexie' and Martin told the Westmeath Independent this week that they are required to train Lexie in basic skills, with discipline being very important. They are also expected to introduce Lexie to social scenarios, such as meeting people, going to crowded locations such as shopping centres and bus stations and getting used to noise. Walking is also hugely important for the puppies and Martin added that taking on a puppy is not really ideal in a house where both people are out working, explaining that he works from home. Martin said he got involved with the Guide Dogs last year after seeing an interview on a TV programme with the mother of a child with autism who used an assistance dog. After hearing about the difference the assistance dog made to the child and also to the family, Martin decided to get involved and contacted chairman of the Athlone branch of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Michael Duffy. While the puppy walking initiative has been ongoing around the country, it is new to the midlands, and once he heard about it Martin decided to take on a puppy, explaining that his family already had a dog. Martin said the food and veterinary bills for the puppies are paid and so the only real commitment for the puppy walker is to train and walk the puppy. Martin has also involved the transition year class in the Marist College with the initiative, which has seen the class adopt Lexie as its mascot and will see the lads undertake some fund-raising on behalf of the charity. Billy and Mary Gallagher, from Dysart, were first involved with the Guide Dogs nationally when they found out about the Athlone branch about ten years ago and have undertaken a number of fund-raising initiatives for the branch over the years. Mary explained that she had always been interested in the puppy-walking initiative, but it was only operating in Dublin and Cork until recently. Once she heard that puppy walkers were being sought in the midlands region she and Billy immediately got involved, taking Joss into their home, where she will be trained for 14 months before going to Cork. Michael Duffy added that the local branch is still looking for puppy walkers and hopes to have five puppies in the Athlone area shortly.