Perfection may come at a price, and that price is around £55,000. This is the average cost for each Guide Dog, from training right through to retirement. In December 2024, Guide Dog Minster (affectionately known as Munch), my bundle of perfection in Labradoodle form will be hanging up his harness after an impressive eight years of Guide Dog partnership. This hairy soul mate has made my life with sight loss not only manageable, but also empowering in ways I would never have imagined.

To celebrate Munch's 'pawsome' work life, we have decided as a family to name a Guide Dog puppy after him. The world can never have to many Munchs'! We are hoping to raise £2,500 within the next two years to name a puppy, through many events.

The first event will be a 55 mile walk over 5 days which will take place between 22nd-26th July. My daughter Korisha and I will be walking around some of Munch's favourite local routes. I will be walking with my long cane, with Korisha being my very talented sighted guide. Munch will be at home putting his paws up, testing out what retirement will be like. Giving back to the Guide Dogs charity is something we are passionate about. Helping to fund more Guide Dogs like Munch, will help individuals with sight loss be able to live more freely in the sighted world, which is never an easy task. If you would like to donate to our fundraising events or help in anyway, we would be so grateful. Thank you very much, from Munch and all of us.

Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss that has a significant impact on their daily lives. Of those, around 180,000 rarely leave their homes alone and lead lonely, isolated lives.

Guide Dogs works for a world where people with sight loss are never left out of life, for a world where being blind or partially sighted is not what defines you. A world with enough support to make the challenges of sight loss no barrier to fulfilling hopes and dreams.