Shropshire Star

Shropshire college’s guide dogs puppy is honing new skills

A sponsored guide dog puppy, named after a Shropshire college, is honing new skills and will soon start wearing her official puppy jacket when she’s out on training walks.

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Harmony

Acton Burnell-based Concord College has received its six month official ‘pupdate’ report on Harmony from Guide Dogs – named after the definition of Concord.

Harmony is a female Labrador cross Golden Retriever.

She is Concord College’s outreach-sponsored Guide Dog puppy who was welcomed into the training scheme earlier this year.

At the time, head of Concord marketing Vanessa Hawkins said: “Sponsoring a Guide Dog puppy is an idea we’ve had for the past year or so – and the student outreach team chose Guide Dogs as their main charity to support last academic year.”

In an official letter from Guide Dogs, fundraising and marketing director Maria Novell said: “We have spoken to her puppy raiser Geraldine to find out how they’re getting on.

“Harmony has been great everywhere she’s been taken so far as part of her training.

“Wearing the Guide Dogs puppy jacket when she’s out on training walks will be useful for showing people that she is in training and shouldn’t be distracted.

“She will also try her paws at visiting busy town centres and exploring the world around them as well as practicing walking up and down flights of stairs.

“In addition, going in and out of different style lifts as well as travelling on different modes of public transport, including buses and trains.

“This is great exposure for the pups as it gets them used to different environments and experiences – Harmony has been great everywhere she’s been taken to so far so we hope this continues.”

Concord College will receive a further update when Harmony reaches eight-months-old.

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