But now, Guide Dogs Tasmania are calling for more volunteers to help future service dogs get the start they deserve.  

The organisation currently has three clients in the state’s North on a waiting list for a guide dog. 

However, Guide Dogs Tasmania coordinator Kim Ryan said unless 10 new puppy raisers were found before Christmas, the organisation would be unable to accept new dogs to the state for training. 

“We are expecting more puppies in November and a second lot in January, but if we don’t get more raisers we won’t be able to take them all,” she said. 

“The ramifications of that would send the program back about 18 months, so we really are quite desperate for new volunteer puppy raisers to come on board.”

Puppy raisers help socialise future guide dogs aged from eight weeks to 18 months. 

Ms Ryan said the volunteers played a vital role in preparing the pups to assist people with vision impairments. 

“We rely on our volunteers to help socialise our puppies, to allow us to then train them to work as guide dogs for vision impaired Tasmanians,” she said. 

“Being a puppy raiser is an incredibly fulfilling and uplifting role and the program has resulted in a very supporting, inclusive community here in Launceston. 

“Our volunteers are giving so much to the organisation, so we have really thought about the ways we can in return, give back to them.”

Julie Lynch has worked with Guide Dogs Tasmania for more than 15 years, but has only been volunteering as a puppy raiser for the past year. 

She said seeing firsthand the positive impacts the dogs have on the lives of vision impaired clients made it all worthwhile. 

“When the program first expanded into Launceston, it really became a question of ‘why not’ for me,” she said. 

“It is so wonderful to be able to be involved in a process that is making such a real difference to the day to day lives of vision impaired people in the community. 

“People often say to me – it must be so hard to have to give the puppies back.

“It is definitely a role where you have to think with your head, and not your heart. 

“This can obviously be difficult, because these puppies certainly pull at your heart strings. 

“You have to get into right head space and understand the role you are playing in helping clients achieve what they want to achieve in life – with the assistance of a guide dog.”

More information on becoming a puppy raiser can be found here.

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