Melton bowlers raise thousands of pounds for guide dogs charity

Members of Melton & District Indoor Bowls Club raised thousands of pounds over the last year for a guide dogs charity.

Club president, Hazel Armstrong, chose Guide Dogs for the Blind Association as her chosen cause for her year in office, and representatives attended the latest coffee morning at the Leicester Road club.

From left, bowls club director David Armstrong with Rusty, club chairman Martin Cooke, president Hazel Armstrong and volunteer Steve Giles, with Cassie.

placeholder image — From left, bowls club director David Armstrong with Rusty, club chairman Martin Cooke, president Hazel Armstrong and volunteer Steve Giles, with Cassie.

Steve Giles, a volunteer for the association, brought along Ambassador Guide Dogs, Rusty and Cassie, and he was presented with a cheque for £3,088 from the fundraising year.

Sue Fleckney, from the club, said: “This sum qualifies the club to name a guide puppy and the name chosen by the club is Melton.

“Hazel Armstrong would like to thank all those members who supported her throughout the year in raising such a magnificent amount.”

Rusty and Cassie began their lives as guide dog puppies before both were selected for breeding.

Cassie had one litter of eight puppies, of whom five went on to become guide dogs, but she was unable to continue breeding because she developed skin problems when in season.

Rusty had four litters, starting when she was two-years-old, with a total of 32 puppies.

Her final litter is just completing training. She also helped to foster puppies which had been abandoned by their mother.

Both Cassie (12) and nine-year-old Rusty are now in retirement in their ‘forever home’ with Steve and his wife.

They are volunteers who have supported the programme by looking after guide dog mums and their litters until the puppies are about eight-weeks-old, when they go to puppy raisers for more individual attention and training.

Guide Dogs is one of the UK’s leading sight loss charities.

Every day, 250 people start to lose their sight in the UK and their dogs make sure they don’t lose their freedom as well.

It costs over £35,000 to train a guide dog fully so that it can have a working partnership of six to eight years, after which the dog enjoys a well-earned retirement.

There are never enough dogs to meet the needs of those who could benefit, so every penny raised makes an important contribution.

Go to www.guidedogs.org.uk to sponsor a guide dog puppy or to donate to the charity.