Taking on SED Pup Reggie is a family affair for the Binks’
Seeing Eye Dogs have two bountiful bundles of new born pups who will be needing homes in the coming weeks as they begin their training to become the next generation of Seeing Eye Dogs.
Being a volunteer puppy carer takes time and patience. You have to be near the puppy constantly and make sure that he or she is receiving the appropriate amount of attention and daily training but, the rewarding feeling you will get is something ‘everyone should experience’, according to Peter Binks, one of our current puppy carers.
CEO of a small company, Peter has managed to fit time into his schedule to ensure that SED Pup Reggie is adequately looked after. He has achieved this by making Reggie a ‘family project’, and between the five of them, Reggie receives all the love and training that she needs.
“We made the decision to volunteer as Seeing Eye Dogs puppy carers as a family. It takes effort, but in the long run, knowing exactly how we’ve contributed just feels amazing.”
Organising Reggie’s timetable has become the most difficult part of the process. Not because there’s a shortage of availability, but because they all want to spend time with Reggie!
“My wife and I both have full-time jobs. Of our three children, two are also working and one is in the middle of a university degree. Between the five of us we find the time. We organize ‘The Reggie Roster’ on a week to week basis, primarily discussing it on the weekend. We have a shared online document that has become an invaluable part of the process.”
The family also has a ten-year old golden retriever named Noah, who is just the most recent in a history of dogs for this family. Because of that, they were worried about adapting to Reggie given the differences in how you handle a pet compared to a Seeing Eye Dog puppy-in-training, these fears turned out to be unfounded though.
“Noah has been fantastic in helping Reggie to build her confidence. They also play really well together. We have a garden out the back that they’ll play in if Reggie has some downtime.”
There may be differences in how the two dogs will be raised, but there is one common factor: “Reggie has a purpose, to eventually provide independence for someone that truly needs her. Noah on the other hand only has one job - to be lovable. We don’t need him to learn the things Reggie does. That said, the love we have for both dogs is equal, and that will never change.”
When Reggie is about fifteen months old, she will go on for further training at the world-class Seeing Eye Dog training facility in Kensington. Peter is adamant that they would go through the process all over again.
“We’d probably take a break but we’d do this again in a heartbeat. It is a lot of work, and you need to be organized, but the reward of seeing your work pay off, and knowing what you’re contributing to, makes it all worthwhile.”
“It takes effort, but in the long run, knowing exactly how you’ve contributed just feels amazing.”
If you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming a puppy carer and can’t wait until the show begins, please visit our website at www.seeingeyedogs.org.au for more information. During May and June, Vision Australia is also hosting puppy carer information evenings across Victoria. Bookings are essential, if this interests you, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
Tickets to the Melbourne Dog Lovers Show 4-6 May 2018 are currently on sale through https://dogloversshow.com.au/melbourne/. Buying online will get you the tickets for 20% cheaper than buying at the door. In addition, if you use the code “SEDAMDLS” at checkout, you’ll get a further 10% off the price for a total 30% discount!
Known as “the world’s greatest festival for dog lovers”, almost 35,000 people attended last year’s show, and this year is expected to be even bigger. Taking place at the easily accessible Royal Exhibition Building, there’s no reason to not bring your family down for a fun day out.