SA Guide-Dogs Association appeals to community for puppy raisers
Volunteer foster families and puppy raisers gain from their experience both physically and mentally.
The South African Guide-Dogs Association needs community members to step up and become puppy raisers as they’ve noticed a shortage in volunteers recently.
According to Assistance Dogs International (ADI), a global scarcity of volunteers to care for pups and dogs in training might have a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities.
The ADI cautions that an increase in demand for all sorts of support dogs, combined with a drop in volunteer numbers, is disturbing the training of life-changing assistance dogs. ADI member groups, which collectively had more than 28 000 active teams last year, said they are facing a serious lack of trained dogs to assist those in greatest need. By the end of 2022, about 9 000 clients were awaiting an assistance dog, with millions more potentially benefiting.
“People with a variety of disabilities are having to wait up to two years for a dog that could significantly improve their quality of life,” ADI executive director Chris Diefenthaler says.
“According to some of our members, the shortage has reached a tipping point because demand for assistance dogs has never been higher.”
They are having to turn away desperate families and individuals due to a lack of volunteer puppy raisers and socialisers, which means they are unable to train assistance dogs quickly enough to fulfill the demand.
To commemorate International Assistance Dog Week, which took place from August 7 to August 11, ADI launched a global #LifeChangers campaign to recruit new volunteers. Anyone interested can use the ADI website to locate their nearest organisation.
“People who volunteer to care for assistance dog puppies and dogs in training are doing something amazing,” Diefenthaler said.
“They play an important role in training dogs that truly save and change people’s lives by assisting with practical tasks, increasing independence, and improving wellbeing, dignity, and confidence.”
Volunteer foster families and puppy raisers benefit physically and mentally from their experience, according to research, through enhanced companionship, exercise, well-being, and social life. Volunteers receive 24-hour support and are reimbursed for most expenses, including food, toys to begin with, and vet bills. There are a range of volunteer opportunities available to fit different lives and time commitments, ranging from a weekend to two years.
The South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind (GDA), South Africa’s only ADI-accredited assistance dog training institution, is experiencing the same trend, with a significant shortage of volunteers, particularly puppy-raising families, for this incredible opportunity to improve someone’s life.
“We understand that people with busy lives may not have the time, experience, or capacity to volunteer,” said Pieter van Niekerk, GDA’s head of public relations.
“By volunteering with GDA, you will be assisting in the development of a world-class assistance dog training program. You receive all the joys of dog ownership without the cost – and, best of all, you’ll be improving someone’s life!”
GDA exclusively provides this fantastic chance in Gauteng and Cape Town.
For further information and to arrange interviews with a representative from GDA, contact Van Niekerk at PieterV@guidedog.org.za.
