The 13 puppies were given baking-themed names inspired by sweet and savoury treats, in honour of the charity’s Guide Dogs Puppy Appeal, which encourages members of the public to fundraise and donate during the month of October.
It now costs Guide Dogs £77,000 to breed, raise and train every guide dog pup to partnership, up from £34,600 in 2019.
When the pups turned eight weeks old, they went on to live with their puppy raisers, volunteers who will care for them for the first year of their life.
Puppy Tiger arrived in Whitchurch and has been settling into life with puppy raiser Vicki and her family.
Vicki said: “Tiger has settled well into our mad house. He loves our kitchen discos, especially Bruno Mars, but not as much as he loves his food.
“He’s a happy little chap and just wants cuddles from anyone that will give them. He’s already made his debut in our local Sainsbury’s and he was big hit with the shoppers and staff, although he was more interested in trying to pinch the broccoli and carrots.
“We lost our old dog in December and I didn’t want to have the heartbreak again, so we came back to Guide Dogs after a 20-year break and two children later to be puppy raisers all over again, it’s great to be back!”
Volunteer puppy raisers provide puppies with a loving home until they’re around 14 months old. They teach them basic commands and help them get used to different environments and sights, sounds and smells.
Bethan McDonald, puppy development advisor at Guide Dogs covering Shropshire, said: “We’re really excited that Tiger from the Baker’s Dozen litter is living here in Shropshire, they’re like little celebrities!
“Tiger will spend the next year getting used to all different sights, sounds, smells and environments so when he starts his formal guide dog training, he will be a confident, well-rounded dog.
“We’re looking forward to seeing how Tiger progresses through his training to become a life-changing guide dog.”
To find out more about becoming a puppy raiser, visit guidedogs.org.uk/puppyraiser or call 0800 781 1444. With your support, the charity can help train more life-changing guide dogs for people in the UK living with sight loss.