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In This Issue:
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A Guide Dog can open a world once lost to sight. An Assistance Dog can bring calm, confidence, and freedom to a child with autism. For 50 years, we have changed thousands of lives. TODAY, Friday, May 22nd, marks Guide Dog Day, sponsored by Park2Travel. Please DONATE and help us change even more lives in the future.
Your support has helped us to change the lives of many families. We are forever indebted to the Brood Stockholders, Puppy Raisers and Temporary Boarders who made these partnerships possible.
Martin Gordon (Dublin) & Guide Dog Emblem (Puppy Raiser, Lisa Brennan, Temporary Boarder Regina Flanagan). Kim Murphy (Kildare) & Guide Dog Kai (Puppy Raiser Martin Burns, Temporary Boarder Hillary McLaughlin). Edel Hale (Wexford) & Guide Dog Evans (Puppy Raiser Michael Meaney, Temporary Boarders John & Anne Ryan).
Tomas Langan (Mayo) with Guide Dog Elliott, who was puppy raised by Ian McDonald and Margaret Lucey, and temporary boarded by Tony O'Reilly.
William Noonan with Assistance Dog Cara (Puppy Raiser Michael Morris, Temporary Boarder Tricia Olden). Philip McGuinness (Donegal) with Assistance Dog Easky (Puppy Raiser Kate Hanrahan & Temporary Boarders Cara Heuston & Gill Murphy.)
The following puppies are now in training, thanks to their Puppy Raisers & Temporary Boarders:
Deise - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Ulrika Malone & Temporary Boarder Ciara Coleman
Lulu - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Anne Mulligan - Temporary Boarder Niamh Daly
Margo - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Julie McCarthy & Sive Geoghegan - Temporary Boarders Patricia Nugent & Niamh Daly
Milo - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Mary Daly - Temporary Boarder Aphral Griffin
Moose - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Catherine Mallin - Temporary Boarder Janet McCarthy
Nectar - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Niall Sexton
Nugget - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Cherie Depping - Temporary Boarder Paul Carroll
Obair - Thank you to Puppy Raiser & Temporary Boarder Maeve Fanning
Opal - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Tara Walshe
Oslo - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Sinead King - Temporary Boarder Catherine Frehill
Peil - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Lorraine Ivie & Miriam Doyle - Temporary Boarder Hilary McLoughlin
Swiftie - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Éadaoin Crotty & Temporary Boarder Sabrina Campbell
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"Major is the best thing that ever happened to our family,” says Dundalk mum, Áine Gannon. "Our eldest child, Dexter, who is eight, is non-verbal and a flight risk. Before we got Major, we couldn’t even walk to the shop for fear that if we let go of Dexter, he would run onto the road. He’s got no road sense, and the only thing that would stop him would be being hit by a car. Now, we can all go out to the shops for lovely walks to the park. We’re even getting to go on family holidays.”
If you donate €250 or more in a given year we could claim an extra 45% in tax relief at no extra cost to you. Learn about tax relief
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C Litter
The C Litter were born to Mum Ivory on 26 March - 1 girls and 5 boys under the watchful eye of Brood stockholder, Grainne McNally-Piat.
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D Litter
The D Litter were born to Mum Tanvi on 6 April - 9 girls and 2 boys with Brood stockholder, Jane Murphy minding them every step of the way.
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E Litter
The E Litter arrived on 8 May - 2 girls and 5 boys to Brood Vitara, with Brood stockholder, Sarah Hathaway providing excellent love and care.
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F Litter
The F Litter arrived on 16 May - 1 girls and 3 boys to Brood Darla, with Brood stockholder, Sam Healy on hand.
Announcements!
Join us on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, as we celebrate a remarkable milestone — 50 years to the day our charity was officially registered. To mark this special anniversary, we’re hosting a Summer Picnic in Merrion Square, Dublin, from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm. Enjoy a relaxed afternoon of informal chats with clients, volunteers, and supporters as we reflect on five decades of changing lives together and look ahead to the future. You can look forward to meeting some of our wonderful four-legged friends, enjoying delicious food, and live music from the Rathfarnham Ukulele Group.
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Two proud IGD Ambassadors — football legend Roy Keane, and actor and broadcaster Shane Casey in conversation.
In this special chat, Roy reflects on the defining moments of his incredible career — from leadership on the pitch to life beyond football — while also sharing what IGD means to him personally, and why supporting mental health and wellbeing is so important.
Please enjoy this conversation with Roy and Shane. If you do, please consider donating to help us change more lives.
As we celebrate 50 years of changing lives through Guide and Assistance Dogs, we are calling for volunteers to become Puppy Raisers and help train the next generation of life-changing dogs. Volunteers foster puppies from around nine weeks to 14 months, providing early socialisation, confidence-building and basic obedience before they move on to advanced training. The role is particularly suited to people working remotely or in hybrid roles, retirees, and families looking to volunteer together.
We provide full support throughout the programme, including training, veterinary care, food and equipment, with no previous dog training experience required. Our CEO Tim O’Mahony says, "Puppy Raisers play a vital role in every successful partnership between dog and owner, helping provide independence and support to people who are blind or vision impaired and families of children with autism.
Interested? You can learn more and register your interest at GuideDogs.ie.
You’ll receive:
Full training and ongoing guidance from your local Puppy Raising Supervisor
All food, veterinary care, and essential equipment is provided by us
24/7 support when you need it
Access to our friendly community of Puppy Raisers nearby to connect and share the journey with you.
James Fitzgerald from Ardfert in Kerry says the dedication of a puppy raiser to training his Guide Dog, Monty, has transformed his life. “With Monty, I can get around confidently, I trust him completely, and he’s given me a level of independence I simply didn’t have before. He’s also great company, and thanks to him I’ve had the confidence and independence to get involved in our local Irish Guide Dogs fundraising branch.”
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Take a few moments to listen to this Newstalk interview, where Guide Dog owner Kim Murphy shares the incredible impact puppy raisers have had on her life. Puppy raiser Maeve Fanning explains why she volunteers to foster puppies, while Puppy Raiser Supervisor Niamh Daly discusses what’s involved in the role and the difference puppy raisers make every day.
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In association with BikeFest. Tickets cost just €5!
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Tuck up with one of our adorable plush toys.
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Give a help-start to one of our puppies on their life-changing journey.
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From now until the end of June, our amazing Guide Dog Day sponsors Park2Travel are donating €1 for every booking made at their Dublin Airport car park, allowing customers to make a meaningful difference with every journey. Customers can also enjoy a 15% discount by using the promo code IGD50 when making their booking at Park2Travel.ie.
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Freenow Drives Accessibility Forward
Freenow by Lyft has partnered with us to launch a new “Round Up to Donate” feature on their app, allowing passengers to round up their fare to the nearest euro and support our work. The year-long partnership also includes driver training and awareness initiatives, with 100 Dublin drivers recently taking part in accessibility training on supporting Guide and Assistance Dog users. Freenow are also giving you the opportunity to name our F litter puppies. Find out more here.
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Maxol's Community Support
Our Carrigaline Branch had a wonderful fundraising day with Maxol Ballinrea for Guide Dog Day, with giveaways and activities. Thank you so much to Eureka and all of the team at Maxol Ballinrea for the continued support. Pictured is Assistance Dog in Training Jen, Ambassador Dog Kobi and retired Guide Dog Hynes.
An Post putting a Stamp on Access Rights
We are delighted to have launched a new access and awareness partnership with An Post, with our Show Your Paws for Access Rights stickers now displayed in over 500 outlets nationwide. This marks a significant step in increasing visibility and promoting inclusivity across communities.
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Mizen2Malin Magic
They did it! The amazing Mizen2Malin cyclists crossed the finish line this afternoon. Wind, rain and sunshine accompanied them from south to north over their week-long challenge. We are in awe of every single one of the participants and can’t thank you enough for your courage, strength and determination to push through every kilometre. Huge credit goes to Eamonn and Liam Linnane, and all the support crew and sponsors. THANK YOU.
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LinkedIn helping our Employment Project
Our Employment Project participants spent an incredible day at the LinkedIn Community Space recently, where they got practical insight into using LinkedIn effectively, along with invaluable 1:1 coaching from volunteers who gave their time, expertise, and genuine warmth so generously. Huge thanks to the LinkedIn volunteers and Social Impact team for building such a thoughtful and genuinely helpful event. It was empowering, well-pitched, and delivered with real care. Find out more about our Employment Project here.
Your support helps train a future guide or assistance dog to change someone’s life.
Demand for our services continues to grow with thousands of people needing our support.
You help train a guide or assistance dog who gives someone confidence and independence.
You help fund every stage of training — from early socialisation to specialist instruction.
Receive updates as your puppy grows and see the difference your support makes.
You help bring a guide or assistance dog and their future partner together for years of trust and independence.
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