30/4/03
Every dog has its day and for brand new guide dogs Donna, Diesel and Ronnie today, International Guide Dog Day, is significant as it marks the end of their training and graduation as fully-fledged working guide dogs.
The trio, along with new owners Marcia Truman, Pat Molseed and Erin McGlew, were presented with a graduation certificate by Disability Services Minister Sheila McHale at a ceremony in Forrest Place today.
Ms McHale said the guide dogs program provided by the Association for the Blind of WA was an important service for Western Australians who were blind or had a vision impairment.
She said that for many people who were blind, guide dogs were an effective and liberating resource.
"Each highly-trained dog is carefully matched to its owner for size, temperament and life-style, and during its working life, it will provide its owner with the confidence and ability they need to participate fully in the community," the Minister said.
"The bond of trust and understanding between a guide dog and its owner is truly remarkable."
Ms McHale said demand for guide dogs was increasing and there were currently 17 puppies in training. It took at least 18 months of intensive training to prepare a puppy to be a guide dog.
The Minister also paid tribute to the individuals and organisations that had contributed to the acquisition and training of the dogs.
"I would also like to acknowledge the generous people who have donated $20,000 to sponsor each of these guide dogs - Eric McNally and Tony Stewart, representing the Wickham Old Bastards Social Club; Fuchsia Williams who donated Donna; and
Paul Holmes a Court and his grandmother, Ethnee Holmes a Court, who donated Ronnie," she said.
"It is precisely this sort of community-based support by individuals and organisations for which WA is renowned - our generosity as a community can have a considerable beneficial impact on the lives of others."
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