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In This Issue:
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Start 2027 in style with the chance to win a brand-new 271 Ford Puma! Raffle tickets are just €5, and the lucky winner will be drawn on 28 January 2027. Don’t miss your chance to drive away with a brand-new car while supporting our life-changing work.
Rules apply.
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.
Donna Lang (Dublin) & Guide Dog Gloria, puppy raised by Maggie Kelly, temporary boarded by Paul Carroll.
Deirdre Noctor (Cork) & Guide Dog Kelsey, puppy raised by Yvonne McKeown.
Nigel Nolan (Offaly) & Guide Dog Harley. Harley was puppy raised by Ruth McSweeney.
Gillian Stafford (Meath) with Guide Dog Iris. Iris was puppy raised by Michelle Frahill & Brian Kavanagh, temporary boarded by Mags & Brian Frahill.
Patrice Ruddy (Mayo) and Assistance Dog Ice. Puppy raised by Margaret and Gerard Harmon, temporary boarded by Jean Murphy.
Joanne McGrath (Limerick) with Assistance Dog Johnny. Johnny was puppy raised by Jo-Anne and Hugh O'Brien.
Jackie Boyle (Dublin) with Assistance Dog Marcus who was puppy raised by Karen McGregor.
Carmel Morris (Wicklow) with Assistance Dog Mattie, who was puppy raised by Pedro & Nicola Quintero/Ryan.
Jacqueline Fox (Dublin) with Assistance Dog Inish. Inish was puppy raised by Astrid Pezzei, and temporary boarded by Liz Creevy.
Ann Brett (Mayo) with Community Dog Mitch who was puppy raised by Sinéad McConomy Cooper.
The following puppies are now in training, thanks to their Puppy Raisers & Temporary Boarders:
Joelle - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Jean Vennard, Temporary Boarder is Annalise & Oscar D'Ascanio
Miso - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Kieran Ryan, Temporary Boarders Frank & Ger O'Meara
Ojo - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Lucy Redmond & Margaret Lucey, Temporary Boarder Niall Brett
Orla - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Judi Pheysey & Elizabeth Desmond, Temporary Boarder Abby Ring
Oti - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Eugene McCarthy
Otto - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Sarah Barter & Catherine Murphy
Parker - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Deirdre Fahy & Paul Finnegan, and Temporary Boarder Tadhg O'Connor
Paw-Dí - Thank you to Puppy Raiser David Kenny, Temporary Boarder Annalisa & Oscar D'Ascanio
Pixel - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Corinne Verstraete & Candice Dokter, gradual intake Nathalie Wood, Temporary Boarder Trish Murphy
Polly - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Aidan Damer, and Temporary Boarder Padraig Sheehan
Puca - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Geraldine McClean & Ann Mc Laughlin, Temporary Boarders Adam & Regina Flanagan
Quaid - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Patrick Crowley, Temporary Boarder Liz Creevy
Quartz - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Anthony Church, Temporary Boarder Tony O'Reilly
Que - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Michael Meany
Quinley - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Josephine Moloney & Emma Phelan, Temporary Boarder Danielle Deasy
Rufus - Thank you to Puppy Raiser Leona Smith, Temporary Boarder Eileen O'Mahony
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J Litter
The J Litter were born recently to Mum Silka - 1 girl (Juno) and 2 boys (Jeepers and Jazz) under the watchful eye of Brood stockholder, Emma Stewart-Liberty. Dad is Aldor.
Emma has an incredible history of supporting our work. Read her story here.
As part of our nationwide celebrations to mark our 50th anniversary, clients, volunteers and supporters gathered on 9 September at the Rochestown Park Hotel, alongside relatives of our co-founders, Jim Dennehy and Mary Dunlop.
Sadly, just two days later, on 11 September, we lost Jim. We hope that he knew just how much love, respect and admiration was in the room that evening for the determination and vision he and Mary showed when they established Irish Guide Dogs 50 years ago.
We invite you to take a moment to read the beautiful and moving speeches shared by Jim’s daughter, Tara Mullally, and Mary’s granddaughter, Diana Johnson, which reflect on the remarkable legacy of our two co-founders.
We will take time in the coming weeks to honour and celebrate Jim’s life and his extraordinary contribution to Irish Guide Dogs.
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During the summer we were delighted to celebrate Puppy Raisers Deirdre Fahy and Paul Finnegan’s incredible milestone of raising 10 of our puppies. Deirdre and Paul have actually puppy raised 12 pups to date, with their latest, Parker, entering training in May. They have also opened their home as Brood Holders, raising multiple litters of future Guide, Assistance, and Community Dogs. They are currently hosting French Brood Volcane, who welcomed nine beautiful puppies into the world. Their dedication goes far beyond raising puppies – they are helping to give dogs the skills, confidence and care they need to go on to change lives. We are hugely grateful to Deirdre and Paul for their time, dedication and commitment to helping change lives, one puppy at a time.
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We’re delighted to welcome seven-time All-Ireland Senior Camogie winner, Amy O’Connor to our Ambassador team! "This is a charity that is very close to my heart because my family has personal experience of the incredible work they do. Having seen first-hand the difference their services can make, I know just how important the organisation is to so many people and families across Ireland."
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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Join us for an evening of celebration, conversation and craic as we mark our 50th anniversary in Clontarf Castle, Dublin on Saturday, 17 October. MC for the evening is Doireann Garrihy, with special guest paralympian Jason Smyth with music provided by the Rathfarmhan Ukelele Band and The Visionaries Choir - both of which feature a number of our clients.
Tickets are €50. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Our Guide Dogs do an incredible job every day, helping their owners live with greater independence, mobility and safety. But when they’re off duty, they’re still dogs — and they need time to run, play, explore and simply have fun! That’s where our Free Run Programme comes in.
We’re looking for volunteers in Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo to help our Guide Dogs enjoy regular off-lead exercise and enrichment in safe, secure environments.
As a Free Run volunteer, you’ll:
Collect a Guide Dog from their owner’s home
Bring them to an approved Free Run location
Let them run, play and explore for around 30–60 minutes
Safely return them home
No previous Guide Dog experience is needed. Full training and ongoing support are provided — we’re looking for reliable people who are comfortable handling dogs and want to make a real difference.
For the dogs, it’s time to switch off and just be dogs. For their owners, it’s reassurance that their four-legged partners are getting the exercise, enrichment and fun they need.
Ready to let a Guide Dog have fun?
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Meet Diva – a puppy with a very important job to do! Diva is one of the many puppies beginning their journey with us, learning the skills and confidence they need to one day become a Guide, Assistance or Community Dog.
As we celebrate 50 years of changing lives, we are calling for volunteers to become Puppy Raisers and help give puppies like Diva the very best start. 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.
As Diva puts it on her very own puppy profile: “To swap puppy mischief for a very important job!” And while there’s plenty of fun along the way, Puppy Raisers play a hugely important role in preparing these special dogs for their future.
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.
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
Support provided every step of the way
Access to our friendly community of Puppy Raisers nearby to connect and share the journey with you.
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, and to schools and facilities who benefit from our Community Dogs.”
Could you help a puppy like Diva on their journey? You can learn more and register your interest below.
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Each month features a beautiful photo and profile of one of our life-changing puppies or dogs.
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A little pup with a whole lot of cuddly charm! Tuck them in with Buddy and give someone special their very own furry friend to snuggle.
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Our lens cloth is perfect for keeping spectacles and sunglasses gleaming. And with the PAWsome design, it's bound to be a talking point with friends and family!
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Ford - Driving change across Ireland
It’s been a busy few weeks for Ford’s Drive For Your Community events, with supporters across the country getting behind the wheel and helping to raise vital funds to support our work. For every test drive at participating dealerships, Ford donates €30 to support our work. With events already held in Galway, Mayo, Laois, Limerick, Waterford, Dublin, Tipperary, Louth, Kildare and Cork, there’s still plenty more to come – including events in Cork on 10, 17 and 24 October. A huge thank you to everyone who has taken part so far – and we look forward to seeing even more of you on the road!
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Mizen2Malin Magnificence
We were absolutely blown away to receive an incredible €194,272 cheque from the organisers and participants of this year’s Mizen2Malin Cycle!
The event is the brainchild of the amazing Eamonn Linnane, who wanted to make a difference in honour of his father, Paddy, who was a Guide Dog owner.
We cannot thank Eamonn, his family, the incredible cyclists, support crew and sponsors enough for the time, energy and commitment they put into making each year’s cycle such a success. Your dedication continues to make an incredible difference to the lives of people who are blind or vision impaired.
What a wonderful legacy for Paddy Linnane.
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Millstreet Revves Up Support
Huge thanks to the Millstreet Vintage Club who raised over €2,200 to support our work through their recent Cars at the Castle event held in Drishane Castle. Tadhg O'Connor, from our Ballincollig Branch, along with our fundraising team lead, Chris Bennett and Puppy-in-Training Parker were delighted to accept the cheque.
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Totally Pawsome support
A huge thank you to the organisers and participants of the Totally Pawsome Quiz Night, who put their heads together, flexed their brain cells and raised an amazing €3,300.
Volunteers from our Portmarnock/Malahide Branch Teresa O'Neill and Pat Harney, along with Ambassador Dog Belle, were delighted to receive the cheque from Ashley Tongue.
We’re pawsitively delighted with this fantastic support.
Your support helps train a future Guide, Assistance, or Community Dog to change someone’s life.
Demand for our services continues to grow with thousands of people needing our support.
You help train a 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 dog and their future partner together for years of trust and independence.
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