GETTING a dog is often born out of pleas from children, followed by a shaky promise from parents that they \u2018won\u2019t be cleaning up after it\u2019.<\/p>\n
Raising and caring for a guide dog, however, comes from a dedication to volunteer work and a hope to make someone else\u2019s life a little bit easier.<\/p>\n
Melissa Haley and her husband Sean are volunteer puppy raisers, having brought up five guide dogs in the past five years.<\/p>\n
Mrs Haley said the couple\u2019s passion for raising the puppies came from a realisation that help was needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband\u2019s father was having vision issues and we met others in a similar position at the Vision Australia office in Ballarat,\u201d she said. \u201cWe knew then that we wanted to help make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Haley\u2019s are currently raising an 11-month-old golden Labrador named Ellie, who is a guide dog in training.<\/p>\n
Guide dog puppies are given to carers at about eight weeks of age and are returned to Guide Dogs Victoria when they reach about 14-16 months.<\/p>\n
Mrs Haley described the role of training the pups as very exciting and engaging.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe teach the pups obedience, socialisation, calmness, how to walk in a straight line without distraction, how to handle crowds, shopping centres, traffic, small children and things like that,\u201d she said. \u201cObviously our main aim is to hopefully achieve a happy, confident and calm pup.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the puppy is returned to GDV for further training, a dedicated team will then shower the canine with a week of love and affection, as to help them transition to their new environment.<\/p>\n
Saying goodbye to the puppies is always an emotional experience, said Mrs Haley.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit tentative for the first few times but at the end of the day, although it\u2019s sad to say goodbye, it\u2019s equally exciting to say hello to a new puppy,\u201d she said. \u201cSaying goodbye reminds you that the dog is going on to become an important part of someone\u2019s life and really help them out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GETTING a dog is often born out of pleas from children, followed by a shaky promise from parents that they \u2018won\u2019t be cleaning up after it\u2019. Raising and caring for a guide dog, however, comes from a dedication to volunteer work and a hope to make someone else\u2019s life a little bit easier. Melissa Haley […]<\/p>\n