Puppies in Training (Paddy, Sandy, Kimba and Gino)

The latest on Kimba, Sandy Paddy and Gino!

Kimba

It’s been a busy time for this gorgeous pup. Kimba has been in training for a few months – and she’s absolutely loving it! She’s currently living at our new Guide Dog Development Centre with her brothers, sisters and friends. And it’s all thanks to supporters like you.

One of Kimba’s favourite tasks is finding important landmarks like chairs, doors and counters – something she does with lots of enthusiasm and impressive accuracy. She may be small, but Kimba is a quick pup who skillfully weaves through busy shopping malls with ease. We’re so proud of how far she’s come!

Sandy

Thanks to your support, Sandy is still as beautiful as ever! She has been all over Auckland – buses, trains, you name it. Sandy’s Puppy Raiser is one of our wonderful Guide Dog staff members, so she’s getting lots of stimulation around other young guide dogs in the making.

She’s very motherly and helps support other pups in the guide dog kennels when they need a bit of TLC. Sandy is going through her assessment soon – the next steps to become a Guide Dog. Best of luck to this lovely wee pup!

Paddy

Paddy has been a very busy boy over the past few months! With your help, he’s had adventures galore. First up was a trip with one of our Guide Dog Trainers to Auckland for one last assessment – a flight from Wellington to Auckland and back, complete with a sleepover in a hotel.

Next, six days in Gisborne with another puppy raiser – giving him great, varied training experiences. He enjoyed the new beaches, walking trails and sightseeing. It wasn’t all business, though – Paddy had plenty of downtime to relax and just be a dog.

He’s been doing so well in all aspects of his training. One of our specialist training teams borrowed Paddy to help other pups in training, too! Recently, he has had another puppy join the household – Guide Dog in training, Zuri. Paddy is showing her the ropes.

Recently, he headed back to Auckland for the next part of his journey. Good luck, Paddy! We are very proud to have been part of your story – everyone will miss this snuggle bug!

Gino

Great news! Gino has qualified as a Guide Dog thanks to generous donations like yours. This gentle giant has been matched to his new handler, Gene – a quick-paced retiree who gets out daily.

Each day, the big yellow lab pushes his head through his harness, excited to go for a walk. Gino and Gene can be seen racing through the local streets and malls. They’ve got targeting bus stops down pat, too – thanks to some yummy peanut butter! Gino has even been welcomed by the family cat. Quite the achievement for this huge softie.

Gino and Gene are working wonderfully together as a team. Learning their daily routes and getting to know each other’s quirks – these two are growing into a safe and happy partnership. Good boy, Gino!

Thanks for being the ulti-mutt supporter. Your donations are helping Guide Dogs like Gino complete their Guide Dog training and providing other essential services and equipment to Kiwis who are blind, deafblind or have low vision – such as white canes, independence support, sport and recreation activities and so much more.