Guide Dog Tales

Spring 2024
Image of Davey

Your kindness is helping more people across Queensland find their own path to living their best life.

As you read the heart-warming updates in this edition of Guide Dog Tales, you will see how varied and far-reaching the impact of your support is.

You will learn how you’re giving the pups in our nursery the best start on their journey to becoming hero Guide Dogs, just like Davey.

You will discover how you helped Lorraine from Bribie Island get back to her love of books and puzzles from the comfort of her own home.

And you will find out how Stacey from the Gold Coast is reclaiming her independence in a task you or I might take for granted—being able to wash your dog on your own.

In each of these stories, the common theme is you.

You make it possible for those in need to live their life the way they choose, with the support that suits their needs. You are a vital part of the Guide Dogs community and I sincerely thank you for your ongoing support.

As we see out the rest of the year, I look forward to celebrating your impact and the chance to share
my appreciation with you in person at upcoming events like our Puppy Pals Day and supporter morning teas.

Thank you once again.

Jock Beveridge (Chief Executive Officer)

GD Davey

Two years ago, you picked the perfect names for the delightful D Litter puppies. Each name paid tribute to the Queensland spirit – including Davey, named in honour of local hero, Queensland Police Senior-Constable David Masters, who lost his life in the line of duty in 2021.

Thanks to your support, Davey is now all grown up and fulfilling his paw-tential after recently finding his perfect match with Barb.

“I truly believe Davey and I were meant to find each other,” Barb said.

“He came into my life when I needed him after my last Guide Dog retired, and he just means so much to me.”

Image of Davey in his Guide Dog harness.

Throughout Davey’s journey, the family, friends and former colleagues of Senior-Constable Masters followed along with every milestone, including meeting Davey and Barb during their recent visit to David Master’s former police station.

“Davey has become a valued member of the Deception Bay Police Station family,” Senior Sergeant Jason Higgs said.

“His personality and nature are a true reflection of our colleague and mate, Dave Masters. The entire station really enjoys regular visits from Davey who never fails to bring a smile to our faces with his mischievous and cheeky personality.”

Davey means so much to the family and friends of his namesake, the wider community, and to Barb, who is now experiencing the truly special companionship and assistance Davey provides every day.

Thank you for supporting superhero Guide Dogs like Davey.

“I was so blown away by the generosity of the Guide Dogs family,” Sue said.

“Knowing that because of you, there will be at least three more wonderful Guide Dogs like my Vegas out there soon is so special and I can’t thank you enough.”

Over the past couple of months, you may have heard from Sue. Sue shared her story, calling for support to help fund more Guide Dogs for those who are waiting.

“That’s why I love being part of this inspiring community. The way people like you come together to help change lives really is like a family – you’re always there. And your generosity now means three more people will be able to live their best lives.”

Sue cuddling Guide Dog Vegas while sitting on the ground.

Thanks to you and a generous group of donors who offered to match donations in the lead up to 30 June, over $185,000 was raised!

Thank you for making it possible for three more Queenslanders like Sue to experience greater freedom and independence with a perfect match by their side.

Thank you to matching donors:
Maureen Stevenson, Graham Eddy and Jenny Watson, Laurie and Dell Dunn, Claire Kinnon, Marie Laity and a kind anonymous donor.

Your kind donations cover the essential costs that are needed along the way.

From veterinary care; specialist training; equipment like harnesses, training coats and leads; to tailored support to prepare people for their perfect Guide Dog Team partnership, your support makes it all possible.

So a big thank you from the team at Guide Dogs and from all those involved in each stage of the journey!

Seven Guide Dogs staff members sit on some grass holding Thank you signs.

Over the last few months, the Guide Dogs nursery has been brimming with lots of little bundles of joy.

Already this year, we welcomed 35 precious puppies from 6 litters into the world – with more on the way!

Thanks to you, each pup gets the highest level of love, care and support while they’re with us in the nursery and all throughout their journey to become the superheroes of tomorrow.

An image of the Z litter.

“We rely on generous supporters like you – puppy sponsors, donors, and dedicated volunteers – to ensure these puppies have everything they need to get them ready for their next steps,” Canine Development Manager Nicci said.

“We simply can’t thank you enough.”

Soon, more of these playful pups will be ready for their next big milestone. They’ll take the leap out into the world with a special Puppy Raising family.

Would you like to open your home and your heart to a puppy who has the paw-tential to change lives? Click here to learn more.

Despite each pup’s unique paw-sonality and distinctive traits, it’s not always easy to tell them apart – especially when they’re small. To help, each puppy is marked with a little dot in a different spot so we know who’s who! For example, you can see little Ulrich’s left shoulder dot in the photo.

It gets tricky when there’s lots of puppies in a litter though – imagine running out of spots to put the dots!

Coloured collars are also used once the pups are big enough to wear them.

Image of Ulrich and his spot.

During Spring, our newest promising puppies look forward to meeting supporters like you at the annual Puppy Pals Day event!

Each year, Puppy Pals sponsor a precious pack of pups and follow along with their journey to become life-changing Guide Dogs.

Knowing your support is transforming lives for the better is pretty special. That’s why seeing it first-hand is something we hope you’ll always remember!

The annual Puppy Pals Day is a special thank you event where you can meet the next generation of Guide Dogs in person and hear directly from someone whose life you’ve helped change.

This year, on 7 September, the amazing A Litter and beautiful B Litter puppies are the stars of the show!

If you’d like to become a Puppy Pal and love the chance to meet the newest pups at our next Puppy Pals Day, join today at puppypalsqld.com.au

 

Two Guide Dogs team members holding puppies.

We are committed to providing our dogs with the highest standard of care, and their nutrition is a key part of this commitment.

Transitioning a dog’s diet must be done gradually. Guide Dogs Vet Dr. Natalie Maticka, recommends a transition period of at least one week, as the good bacteria in the gut needs time to adapt to digesting the new food.

“The easiest way to do this is to start by mixing a quarter of their new food with their old food,” Dr Natalie explained.

“Every couple of days, add a bit more of the new food and reduce their old food until they’ve fully transitioned.”

Recently our Guide Dogs in-training transitioned to a new all-natural dog food, thanks to our new partner Black Hawk.

“We’re thrilled to be switching our dogs to Black Hawk’s all-natural dog food,” Dr Natalie shared.

“The food’s exceptional quality and rich nutrition support us in offering them the best care possible so they can thrive. Thank you Black Hawk”

image of a dog with the Blackhawk dog food.

Compared to his V Litter brothers and sisters Vinny, Vixen, Veena and Vesper, Rufus is a unique name for a precious little pup!

The charming name is a special tribute to an incredibly generous couple who left their estate to Guide Dogs in their Will.

The couple’s Burleigh Waters home on Ruff Court was auctioned in March this year, with the proceeds directly supporting services such as training the next generation of life-changing dogs like Rufus.

“Rufus is a real tribute to their legacy – born from the name of the street where they built their life. It is a perfect fit,” the couple’s nephew and Executor Ian said.

“I’m honoured to be carrying out the wishes of my uncle and his partner, and was excited to share the news of their gift with the team at Guide Dogs.”

Already, Rufus’ journey has been filled with adventures, like meeting some of the players from our partners, the Brisbane Broncos (pictured)!

We’re excited to see what’s next for this special pup Rufus as he begins the next stage of his journey with his volunteer Puppy Raisers.

If you, or someone you know, are interested in leaving a lasting legacy and supporting special pups like Rufus, please contact Gifts in Will Manager Renae on 07 3869 5917.

Three people stand holding puppies in the Guide Dogs Nursery.

Showzer Dog washes are designed to be environmentally friendly, convenient and accessible for everybody! Each dog wash includes Braille and tactiles to help those with low vision or blindness identify the different settings.

Guide Dog Handler Stacey loved her experience giving her Guide Dog Wally a good wash to test it out.

“I loved the way it allowed me to bond with Wally, while we were both having so much fun!” Stacey said.

“I found the Showzer really accessible, and it made me feel so independent.”

Thanks to our partner Showzer, $1 from every wash also goes directly towards helping playful pups become life-changing Guide Dogs!

Keep an eye out for a Showzer near you and for more information you can visit showzer.com.au

Find out how your business can support Guide Dogs and give back to your community, just like Showzer. Reach out to Victoria at corporatepartnerships@guidedogsqld.com.au

Image of a dog getting a bath.

When you join the Guide Dogs community, you become part of a family, working together to raise the next generation of life-changing Guide Dogs.

Like you, long-term volunteer Penny Morris was a compassionate dog lover who dedicated 20 years to our precious pups and made an immense difference to so many lives.

In the last decade alone, Penny cared for over 30 dogs, including some you may recognise – like Queensland’s very first Client Support Dog, Jasmine, who still works alongside Guide Dogs Psychologist Dr Janet.

As a boarding carer, Penny opened her heart and home to puppies and dogs-in-training, often helping to care for dogs as they recuperated from medical needs.

Sadly, Penny passed away early this year leaving behind a legacy of love through the dogs she cared for and the lives she touched.

“Penny’s dedication made her a saviour to our boarding team, always ready to support these special dogs at any time – even with little notice right before Christmas on one particular occasion,” CEO Jock Beveridge recalled.

“It’s people like Penny who are the heart and soul of our community. On behalf of everyone at Guide Dogs, I’d like to pay tribute to the incredible difference she made.

“The world is a better place because of you, Penny.”

image of an adult walking with a child and a dog.

“A physio fixes a leg, but an Occupational Therapist helps you dance again.” – Justin

Thanks to your support, a team of specialists work side-by-side with people living with low vision or blindness, wherever they’re needed.

As an Occupational Therapist, Justin is there to help people do the things they need and want to do.

“Justin was great in helping me set up a CCTV to magnify the novels and puzzles I love,” Lorraine from Bribie Island said.

“This new set up will change my life – thank you.”

In the last financial year, your kindness made it possible for specialists like Justin to deliver close to 1,000 hours of Occupational Therapy support to people like Lorraine, including nearly 300 hours in regional areas!

Thank you for helping more people live their best independent lives – filled with the activities they love most.

Justin

Eden is a proud mum to a bubbly 3-year-old daughter, pet parent to a gorgeous Golden Retriever, and is one of the friendly voices on the other side of the line when you give us a call.

Since joining our supporter care team in January this year, Eden has provided assistance and helped answer questions on over 1,000 calls!

“Seeing puppies at work is pretty cool, but one of my favourite things is being able to connect with our incredible supporters,” Eden explained.

“The people I speak to on the phone everyday are making a real difference and I love being able to help them do that in the way that works best for them.”

Recently, after banks decided to begin withdrawing cheque services, Eden has been getting more calls from people looking for safe and secure alternative ways to continue their support.

Last year, generous supporters like you sent in nearly 4,000 personal cheques to support the next generation of Guide Dogs and those living with low vision or blindness. So while we continue to accept and process cheques for now, we understand this change will have a significant impact on our community.

If you’d like to speak with Eden for assistance finding a new payment method or for any other questions, call us on 1800 007 460.

Eden

PAWGUST

This August, walk or run every day to raise funds for Guide Dogs.