A man and woman pose with a yellow Labrador Retriever in a sandy arena surrounded by fencing and trees.

Mike Sutton

Azzy Girl

In January 2018, the ‘A’ litter included a puppy called Azzy, who made her way to us on 19th February that year. It was the start of almost a year of fun and frustration, delight and demands.

Ours was a family of dog lovers, but heretofore, of the firmly amateur approach. The attention to detail, the scheduling, the advice and support from the Irish Guide Dogs suggested that we needed to up our game with Azzy – and she was a character!

The year was punctuated by visits and gatherings organised by IGD, walking and experiences, and helpful and personalised advice. As a first-time puppy raiser, I questioned my effectiveness and methods on numerous occasions while thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Azzy was great company. She was willing, while strong-willed. To feel that she was responding to and learning from our exercises was a great thrill. As the year progressed, I felt a little more in control although people I met on occasion when out and about did not always agree. It was suggested to me one day by a friend that I should bring her up to the local pub and see how good she was at bringing me home later in the night!

A yellow Labrador Retriever wearing a bright green service dog vest that reads "Guide dogs" and "prov in" stands attentively on grass in a sunny garden setting.

With three energetic and youthful sons at home, Azzy was never short of attention, and they all were invested in her, while, at times, this was about play and not so much about discipline. That said, there was no doubting the affection they had for Azzy and her welfare. In preparing to send these words, I asked all the family for their main memories and impressions of our time with Azzy. Their words were about fun, adventure and love. Summing their words up in three might be a bit of a disservice but, I think, captures the essence of our puppy. My wife offered a short acrostic which I will finish with below.

In January 2019, we sadly brought our girl back to Cork for her training. I must admit I felt a bit of a failure as we had found carers for Azzy for a brief spell over Christmas the previous month. When we collected her after our few days away, her host suggested that the best guiding Azzy might do was to pull people from a burning building!! I recognised Azzy’s energy but feared for her chances of making the grade.

A golden Labrador Retriever stands in a snowy backyard surrounded by snow-covered evergreen trees and potted plants.

This fear was lacking the knowledge of what the training staff could achieve. Nothing is more impressive than the skills and insights of the trainers who persisted with Azzy on her return. It was such a delight to hear that Azzy, while not making the grade at Guide Dog level, had been successfully trained as an Assistance Dog.

The Irish Guide Dogs team was wonderful in keeping us up to date on Azzy’s progress. To visit her at the Centre in Cork was a bittersweet moment, while hearing that she had gone to a family as an Assistance Dog was so pleasing.

A few short years later, this communication to keep us updated brought the heart-wrenching news that Azzy had suffered a very premature death due to an aggressive cancer. We were all devastated by the news but felt so bad for the child and family who had Azzy. Nothing underlined so starkly the continuous nature of demand on a wonderful organisation and the people they serve so well.

A golden Labrador Retriever lies on grass in a sunny backyard garden, wearing a black leash, with ivy-covered walls and trees in the background.

To Azzy’s family, we share your loss and we sincerely hope that a substitute has been, or will be, found. If, like us, Azzy brought her own personality and energy to you, she will be hard to replace.

Azzy Girl

In January 2018, the ‘A’ litter included a puppy called Azzy, who made her way to us on 19th February that year. It was the start of almost a year of fun and frustration, delight and demands.