- By Adam Green & Clare Lissaman
- BBC Radio Shropshire
Kath Saunders and her household have been filmed taking care of Ela’s puppies
A lady whose golden retriever had a litter of information canine puppies mentioned she hoped she might assist extra folks with sight loss “stay an impartial life”.
Kath Saunders and her household appeared on Channel 5’s Puppy School for Guide Dogs alongside new mum Ela.
The programme options the progress of information dogs in coaching and the individuals who rely upon them.
Ms Saunders, of Shrewsbury, mentioned she wished her TV look to tell different folks of what was concerned.
Some blind folks have had lengthy waits for information dogs due to a scarcity. The Guide Dogs charity mentioned the animals’ availability and coaching was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Three of Ela’s first litter have since certified as information dogs
Ms Saunders informed BBC Radio Shropshire the household determined to get entangled with the charity’s work following a tenting journey with a pal.
“She introduced her two dogs alongside and I used to be like ‘wow, your dogs are wonderful, how did you prepare them so properly, how are they so fantastically behaved’?”
“And it seems they have been additionally information canine mums and so (my household and I) had a little bit of a chat and determined that that is what we wished to do as properly.”
Ms Saunders mentioned Ela was assessed aged about one and deemed to be the “crème de la crème” as a possible mom to future information dogs.
“They are on the lookout for temperament, how calm they’re, how simple they’re to work; they are surely on the lookout for the very best dogs there are,” she mentioned of the charity’s course of.
Ela, who has simply turned six, has had two litters below the programme and should have one other, if thought-about wholesome sufficient.
The Guide Dogs charity mentioned three pups in Ela’s first litter, born in lockdown, had gone on to qualify as information dogs.
Ela has had two litters of puppies which is able to probably develop into information dogs
Ms Saunders mentioned monitoring the puppies of their early days was rewarding.
“Ela does all the work,” she defined. “We do not should do something apart from feed and take care of her.”
After three weeks, they’re then weaned and “hit their actually cute stage”.
She added: “(Ela) had seven puppies this time – probably seven extra folks can get out on the planet and stay an impartial life. It’s actually wonderful.”
