Emma Stewart-Liberty

Emma Stewart-Liberty is an extraordinary person. She began raising puppies in 2000 and, over the years, has opened her heart and home to more than 100 puppies, helping them take their very first steps on a journey that would go on to transform lives.

As Emma says, she truly “relishes” the role, finding immense joy and purpose in knowing that each puppy she supports may one day bring independence and confidence to someone in need.

Emma and her husband have chosen to include Irish Guide Dogs in their will, believing it “makes a lot of sense” to support a cause that has given them so much in return.

In January 2026, Emma was honoured at the Training Centre in Cork when she was presented with a piece of crystal to recognise her unique and extraordinary contribution to the charity, marking the momentous occasion of the final litter she supported entering the first stages of their training journey to become life-changing Guide, Assistance or Community Dogs.

It was an emotional day for everyone involved, and the charity cannot thank Emma and her husband enough for their unwavering generosity, dedication and support.

Here Emma recalls two of the puppies she has supported and describes their unique personalities.

Quin - Our first puppy

The first puppy we raised was Quin - an enormous and exuberant bundle of a golden Labrador.

We would bring him into work with us - at that time, we had a jewellery workshop combined with a shop.

The idea was that Quin would stay in the goldsmithing area, and not in the retail area, but Quin treated everywhere as his playroom, scattering his toys and treats at will.

Regular customers got to know this and were quite happy; one had a little girl who insisted on coming every week just to see Quin.

One day, a very elegant lady opened the door, the expression on her face hard to read, but you could tell she was not used to dogs being in jewellery shops. She asked, in a heavy American drawl, if we sold emeralds - we did!

Many visits and consultations later, she had got over her consternation and was a firm Quin fan. As she was leaving the shop near the end of a visit, she turned and in a classic New York accent said, " Quin - tidy your room."

He never did.

Juno - Brood Bitch

When Irish Guide Dogs marked their first 25 years anniversary by, amongst other things, they published a book called "Independence".

My husband Paul and I, along with Juno were honoured to be included at the launch of "Independence" in Kenny's in Galway.

Standing at the back of the room, we met a lady and we got chatting. We explained that Juno was a brood bitch and had already had a couple of litters. The lady looked at us with tears in her eyes. She went on to explain that she had an Assistance Dog for her son, who had autism. She said she could not begin to explain the difference having the dog made to her entire family. For the first time, they were able to do all the things regular families can do together, and she was just so privileged to meet Juno as a representative of all the broods that make this possible.

To hear her words made everything involved with raising a litter even more worthwhile.