Daily walks for canine cause

GUIDE Dogs Australia is on a mission to get more Aussies walking their dogs, while also raising money for their dog breeding, raising and training programs.

According to the organisation’s research, only 30 per cent of people are taking their dogs for a daily walk, but their fourth annual PAWGUST campaign is hoping to change that.

CEO of Guide Dogs Victoria, Karen Hayes, said by taking up the PAWGUST challenge to walk their dog for 30 minutes every day in August, owners can strengthen the health of themselves and their pooch while raising money through donations from sponsors.

“If you own a dog, it’s a member of your family, you have a responsibility to look after the health and wellbeing of that dog as well, so we really want to encourage owners to get out there every day during PAWGUST and walk their dog,” she said.

“It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise and train a guide dog so all of the funds that we’re raising through PAWGUST will go directly to the breeding, raising and training of our beautiful guide dogs to ensure that people who are blind or have low vision and who need a guide dog can actually get one.”

Ms Hayes said PAWGUST was a “huge” fundraising initiative for the organisation, raising over $1.6 million nationally last year.

She said signing up to the challenge would also give participants access to training videos, particularly helpful for lockdown puppies who may lack social interaction skills.

“Because there are so many new dogs out there it’s also an opportunity for many people to do a bit of training with them,” she said.

“People who sign up for PAWGUST will be able to get some training tips from one of our trainers, Carolyn Rose, who’s going to be providing some tips on how to strengthen the bond with your dog and how to refine some behaviours.”

To register for PAWGUST, visit pawgust.com.au.