An intimate insight into a guide dog's journey
At Guide Dogs we are so grateful to everyone who chooses to Name a Puppy. We breed and train over 1,200 puppies a year, and it costs over £5,000 to breed and puppy-walk each one. So we really are reliant on this invaluable way to play a part in Guide Dogs work. To thank you for your £5,000 donation, we will send you lots of fascinating updates to let you know just how your puppy is doing. The picture on the right shows you just what you receive.- A copy of your puppy’s birth certificate
- Regular updates on your puppy’s first amazing year of training
- A photo of your puppy at 6-8 weeks
- A beautiful framed photograph of him or her in harness, ready to take the next step in training
Receive all this and more when
you Name a Puppy
you Name a Puppy
Gary's memory lives on
Gary Ratcliffe was a Master Mason and was raising money to Name a Puppy when he was tragically killed. His wife Sue was determined to carry on his work, and set up a Tribute Fund to make sure she could Name a Puppy in his memory. Sue started the Fund with donations in lieu of flowers at Gary’s funeral. Since then Sue has organised a wide range of fundraising events, including sponsored walks, charity golf days and musical tribute nights. Each event celebrates Gary’s life and combines fundraising with the sense of fun which was so important to him. Since Sue set up the Fund, she has reached the amazing total of over £65,000 and has named thirteen puppies in honour of Gary!
Name a Puppy – Your questions answered
How much does it cost to Name a Puppy?
We ask for a donation of £5,000 to Name a Puppy. It is a lasting and heart-warming way to keep a loved one's memory alive and make a positive difference
to someone's life.
Isn't it difficult to raise £5,000?
There are lots of ways you can raise money. For instance, many people ask for donations in lieu of flowers, and you can also organise a fundraising event like a
sponsored walk or Get together. Events can be a fun way of remembering someone special. By setting up a Tribute Fund in their name, you can make sure all the money
you raise at events or through donations is kept in one place. You’ll be surprised how quickly the money builds up – and hopefully you’ll have enough to Name a Puppy!
Will I be able to keep in touch with the puppy walker?
Puppy walkers volunteer their time to Guide Dogs to give the puppies the best start in life. We really value their contribution and want to respect their privacy,
so if you have anything you would like to send to the puppy or puppy walker, the Name a Puppy team will be more than happy to forward it to them on your behalf.
What happens if the puppy I name doesn’t make it as a guide dog?
Training to become a guide dog is very hard work, so it’s perfectly natural for some dogs not to meet our high standards. However, around seven out of ten
trainee puppies do successfully become guide dogs. If the puppy you’ve named is withdrawn altogether within the scheme’s timeframe (up until it goes into training)
then we will give you the opportunity to name another puppy, and follow its progress in exactly the same way and at no extra cost. If your puppy doesn’t graduate
and isn’t suitable to become a working dog for another charity organisation, they will be re-homed with a loving family.
What does the money go towards?
Your donation helps towards the costs involved in supporting the puppy you’ve named for its first year, covering feeding costs and vet bills, supporting our
puppy walkers, and providing all the equipment (bedding, leads, collars, etc.) that your rapidly growing pup will need. It will also cover a percentage of
the costs of running our breeding programme, which supports all our stud dogs and brood bitches and the mother’s pregnancy and whelping.
When will I be able to meet the puppy I name?
We will invite you along to meet the puppy you've named during its initial training with a puppy walker.
Will I be able to name my puppy after my loved one?
Yes. We ask for names that are no more than two syllables long – quite short, to really get their attention! We ask you to give three alternative puppy names.
Hopefully we will be able to use your first choice, but if not we should be able to use one of the other two.
call the team on 0845 603 1477 or
email us at giftsinmemory@guidedogs.org.uk
