Guide Dogs for the Blind
As a charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind transforms the lives of thousands of people living with sight loss every year by enabling them to live with independence and confidence.
Most people know the charity for providing life changing guide dogs, but it also helps people in many other ways.
Through ‘My Guide’, the charity helps people take the first step back into the community, while its ‘buddy dogs’ system helps build the confidence of children living with sight loss.
Through its admirable campaigning work, Guide Dogs for the Blind helps break down the barriers that prevent blind people from having a full role in society.
Royal Canin & Guide Dogs for the Blind
At ROYAL CANIN® we are proud to work with Guide Dogs for the Blind to help feed its 8,000 dogs – ranging from tiny puppies, to working dogs, to older dogs enjoying their retirement.
We provide each and every guide dog we help to feed with tailored food that meets their wide range of nutritional needs.
Losing your sight shouldn’t mean losing your independence
There is no minimum or maximum age for guide dog ownership. People in their seventies, eighties and nineties have become successful guide dog owners.
Guide dogs are not only for adults; they also provide guide dogs to children and young people under the age of 16. You do not need to have lost all your sight to own a guide dog, most people who own a guide dog still have some vision.
The facts
Guide Dogs have made a lifetime promise to provide every one of their guide dog owners with a guide dog for as long as they need one.
- Almost 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss. By 2050 this will have doubled
- 180,000 people with sight loss rarely leave home alone
- It costs around £50,000 to support a guide dog from birth to retirement
- 5 – 6 years is the average working life of a guide dog
- A guide dog owner may have as many as 8 guide dogs in their lifetime
- There around 4,800 working guide dogs
- 1,400 guide dog puppies are bred each year
- It takes around 20 months of training to transform a new born puppy into a confident guide dog.
- Around 820 new dog and owner partnerships are created in a year
- Every hour, another person in the UK goes blind
The difference your money makes
- Donate £8 – this could feed a guide dog puppy for 10 days, keeping them happy and healthy
- Donate £25 – this could buy a white harness, the iconic symbol of a fully qualified guide dog
- Sponsor a puppy – Sponsor a gorgeous guide dog puppy from just £1 a week, and watch them grow from a six-week-old bundle of fur to a fully-qualified guide dog. It’s a great way to support Guide Dogs, and every puppy’s journey is unique! After 24 months of training, your puppy will give freedom and independence to someone with sight loss, giving you the chance to sponsor another new recruit!
