Introducing Fergus, one of our newest pups…

inside

Official publication of Seeing Eye Dogs Australia

AUTUMN 2012

A Seeing Eye Dog for Santa

Thank you to Puppy Parents

Taking direction from Seeing Eye Dog ‘Compass’

I’m delighted to bring you all the news of SEDA in this Autumn edition of PAWS.

Firstly, it is my sincerest pleasure to thank you for your invaluable support of our organisation. Without your generous donations we could not operate.

One of our clients recently asked, “How do you thank someone for giving you liberty?”

I have worked at Seeing Eye Dogs Australia for many years and have a great understanding of the incredible skills that our dogs have, but this question made me stop and think about the enormity of giving someone a Seeing Eye Dog.

While $30,000 is a lot of money to train each puppy it almost seems like a small price to pay to give someone the freedom to get around safely and independently.

Our Christmas fundraising appeal was a great success. Thanks to your generous donations we have now matched our client Kris Kringle with his first Seeing Eye Dog, Stitch. You can find out more about Kris and Stitch by reading his story in this issue.

In other news, I’m proud to tell you that we have set up an office at Welshpool in Western Australia. We currently have two staff based there, and we have already placed nine puppies with carers. A great start!

Planning is still underway to redevelop the SEDA facility in Kensington, and we will keep you posted on our progress.

When this facility is completed it will enable us to minimise our costs while increasing our capacity to provide more of our specially trained dogs to Australians who are waiting for their liberty. So, if you know any businesses who are interested to help fund the building costs, we’d love to hear from you.

Thank you once again for playing such a vital role in the training of our dogs. Your continued generosity really does make a huge difference to hundreds of Australians.

Leigh Garwood General Manager Seeing Eye Dogs, Orientation & Mobility Division (SEDOM)

thanks to you...

Leigh Garwood

Cover: Fergus, one of our newest Seeing Eye puppies wants to tell you all about why he wants to grow up to become a Seeing Eye Dog – read his letter on page six.

Seeing Eye Dogs Australia (a division of Vision Australia)

National Headquarters 17 Barrett Street Kensington Vic 3031 Telephone: (03) 9381 6400 FREECALL: 1800 037 773 Fax: (03) 9381 6464 Email: info@seda.org.au Website: www.seda.org.au

we love our sponsorsThe transformation from ‘a little ball of fluff’ to a mature Seeing Eye Dog takes around two years and costs $30,000 for the overall training.

Our wonderful puppy sponsors donate a monthly amount towards a pup’s training and, in return, receive a magnetic photo frame and regular photos and letters from their sponsored dog.

Becoming a puppy sponsor means you can keep up to date with the exciting journey of your puppy as well as support people who are blind.

Sponsorship count = 8,404

Help us get to 10,000 puppy sponsors!

If you or anyone you know can sponsor a puppy please fill out the coupon on the last page, call 1800 42 20 77 or visit our website. Thank you!

ThE PEoPlE wE hElP

Our Christmas campaign shared a story about St Mary’s resident Kris Kringle.

Every Christmas Day, for 54 years, Kris donned his red coat, trousers and hat to play Santa Claus and brighten the day for sick children in hospital.

But, in 2010 a tumour tragically took away Kris’ eyesight and for the first time in more than half a century Kris was unable to do the one thing he looked forward to more than anything each year.

Now, thanks to the generosity and compassion of people like you, Kris has received his first Seeing Eye Dog, Stitch.

“I was so happy to meet Stitch,” said Kris. “Ian brought him up from Melbourne and we trained together for three weeks.”

Seeing Eye Dog Instructors, like Ian, work closely with the Seeing Eye Dogs and their new handlers to ensure that they have all the skills necessary to form a successful partnership.

“Stitch is well known in my local community, he goes everywhere with me. Even to my local club. They love him there,” said Kris.

Recently Kris’ Christmas wish came true when he was asked to don the Santa costume for St Marys Rugby League Club Christmas in July celebration.

“I am really looking forward to playing Santa again. I was invited last year, but I couldn’t go because I was in hospital. This time it will be Santa and his dog, which I reckon the kids will love.”

Like all Seeing Eye Dog clients, Kris’ life changed for the better when he was introduced to Stitch.

“Stitch has made such a big difference in my life. It’s like having someone there to protect me. He is beautiful. I want to thank everyone who donated to Seeing Eye Dogs Australia’s Christmas appeal. You have given me back my freedom and independence.”

Kris Kringle and Seeing Eye Dog Stitch, from St Mary’s in NSW were paired towards the end of 2011.

christmas came for kris

Photos courtesy Justin Lloyd, The Daily Telegraph

Kris introduces Stitch to sisters Sadia Noori, five, Marwa Noori, six, and Sarah Noori, aged three.

CorPorATE ThAnkS

The third annual SEDA Meet and Greet Day at Vision

Australia’s Cooparoo office was held on Sunday, 16th October, and more than 500 sponsors and supporters came from all over Queensland and Northern NSW to meet their very own sponsor pups.

Guests enjoyed a delicious barbecue lunch, live entertainment and a demonstration from a working Seeing Eye Dog.

There was heaps to do for the kids, with a jumping castle, colouring in and 11 puppies to pat and cuddle.

Supporters were able to chat one-on-one with the wonderful puppy carer volunteers and staff and learn all about what it takes to become a Seeing Eye Dog.

Staff from the Brisbane office of Trilby Misso, a generous supporter of the Seeing Eye Dog program, helped with setting up and volunteering on the day.

Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers who made the day possible and our friends from Trilby Misso.

trilby misso helps with meet & greet

From top: Trilby Misso staff, puppy carers and Seeing Eye Dog handlers all enjoyed the day.

diary date…Coorparoo’s 2012 Meet and Greet Day will be held in conjunction with Texpo on Saturday, 8th September. Texpo is Vision Australia’s showcase event with the latest in technology and services for those who are blind or have low vision.

Melbourne will also have a Meet and Greet Day. The day is yet to be announced but all puppy sponsors in Victoria will receive an invite.

viva goes totally wildSeeing Eye puppy, Viva, found stardom on the small screen in two episodes of Channel 10’s Totally Wild late last year.

Viva’s carer, Debra Campbell says Viva spends every moment of the day with her.

She says the dogs are trained to cope with every social situation and adds that the most rewarding thing about caring for the dogs before they become Seeing Eye Dogs is hearing about the changes they make to people’s lives after they leave.

pin and win wins!Late last year, SEDA was lucky enough to be selected as the 2011 Melbourne Cup Carnival Fund charity partner for their Pin & Win fundraising competition.

This provided an opportunity to raise vital funds to support the redevelopment of SEDA’s puppy breeding and training facility in Kensington, Victoria.

The carnival was a great success and, thanks to the hundreds of volunteers, the sale of Melbourne Cup Pins will make a huge difference to our work providing more Seeing Eye Dogs to the many Australians awaiting them.

The Melbourne Cup Community Fund supports Australian charities that create long-term health and social welfare programs. This initiative has been the primary charitable activity associated with the Melbourne Cup Carnival for more than 20 years. Vision Australia would like to thank everyone who bought a lapel pin.

danny rubano

Danny Rubano loves his new volunteer role assisting with the our fundraising collection dog boxes.

Our Seeing Eye puppy is almost as tall as the Melbourne Cup!

our VAluAblE VolunTEErS

Last August Danny Rubano saw a volunteer opportunity he was interested in on Vision Australia’s Facebook page.

“I live near the Fairymeadow branch of Vision Australia and contacted them to find out what I could do,” explains Danny, who had taken time out from his career in telecommunications engineering to decide what he wanted to do next. “The staff and volunteers I dealt with were great. I also went to Vision Australia’s Texpo at Enfield (in September), which was just fantastic. I like all the use of technology which marries up with my own interests as well.

“Now I am a collection dog program volunteer and I spend regular days each month visiting the 20 collection dogs in my regional run as well as doing a bit of walking and ‘cold-calling’ and interacting to try and build our presence, “ explains Danny. “I enjoy building up my skills as well as doing something for fundraising and the community.”

Danny, who has an eye condition which will eventually lead to blindness is beginning a law degree next year and hopes to continue to do volunteer work for Vision Australia after graduation.

For information on our puppy collection dog program

please phone 1800 42 20 77.

I’m so excited I just can’t stop wagging my tail! My friend and I have been selected to start the long, but amazing journey to becoming a professional Seeing Eye Dog.

Ginger and I are Labradors which means we’re just the right dogs for the job. We were picked for the program because of our breed, our excellent health and because we have a relaxed and confident nature.

We can’t wait to start learning new things. Ginger has moved to Brisbane and I am living in Melbourne. For the next 12 months our puppy-caring families will look after us and teach us how a Seeing Eye Dog should behave.

When we are approximately 12 to 18 months old we will start our formal training and that’s when the really hard work will begin.

We’ll be in training five days a week, learning the finer details of how a Seeing Eye Dog helps a person who is blind stay safe and independent.

I want to give a big puppy kiss to my sponsors and donors. Through your donations you are supporting pups like Ginger and I through our training. You help to provide all of the things we need, such as beds and vet checks.

Without the generosity of people like you we simply wouldn’t have the chance to become Seeing Eye Dogs and to change someone’s life one day.

Thank you so much for your help, and don’t forget to tell your friends and family how much fun it is to sponsor a puppy through Seeing Eye Dogs Australia.

happy birthday golden litter!The first litter of Seeing Eye puppies born in our 50th Anniversary year have just turned one!

Goldie (left) and littermates enjoyed a day out at Stradbroke Island.

meet fergus and ginger

AuTumn APPEAl

Middle: Christmas was hard work for tiny Ginger. Above: Her coat was a little big at first!

Fergus is a handsome fellow.

SEDA loTTEry winnErS

In 2001 Joshua Kenealy was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and his family began buying SEDA lottery tickets as a way of showing their support for blindness charities.

Just recently his mother, Trish, was stunned to receive a call to say that they had won! “The car (worth $48,000, along with a $2,000 petrol voucher) couldn’t have come at a better time as our car was having problems,” says Trish, who does outreach work for her church. “Josh started an engineering degree in 2010 and I am amazed at what he has achieved. We feel really blessed.”

Rod happily receives his prize at the recent Meet and Greet Day.

Mitsubishi’s David White presents Trish with her car.

For puppies,size matters.Size Health Nutrition Junior diets provide optimal nutrition for each puppy, no matter what size.

Only at selected pet specialty outlets and vet clinics.

Visit www.royalcanin.com.au Photographers: Jean-Michel Labat & ves Lanceau • TEAM 5822DNSW

Rod Taylor from Maroochydore has been purchasing lottery tickets in Queensland throughout 2011. He is also a monthly puppy sponsor.

A couple of days before the SEDA Meet and Greet Day at Vision Australia in Coorparoo, Rod received a call advising him that he was an ‘Earlybird’ winner in the Seeing Eye Dog Lottery.

He was presented with his $2,000 Coles/Myer Gift card at the Meet and Greet Day and he, and his wife Betty, had a great time meeting all of the puppies.

Rod and Betty were very excited about their prize and pleased that they can continue to support the work of Seeing Eye Dogs Australia.

You could be our next lucky lottery winner! To purchase tickets or find out more visit www.seda.org.au/lottery

If you are interested in becoming a Puppy Carer and live in one of the cities listed below, please phone for more information:

Brisbane: Brenda Donley, Seeing Eye Dog and Puppy Trainer – 0458 045 072

Melbourne: Kim Rulach, Puppy Field Officer (Trainee) – 03 9381 6410

Perth: Megan Hopman, Puppy Development Field Officer and Trainee Trainer – 0421 641 138.

did you know?The first dog guide training schools were established in Germany during World War I, to enhance the mobility of returning veterans who were blinded in combat. They used German Shepherds.

Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially (red-green) colour blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs. The human part of the dog guide team does the directing based upon skills acquired in mobility training. The handler might be likened to an aircraft’s navigator and the dog is the pilot who gets them there safely.

volunteer puppy carers needed now

PuPPy nEwS

Being a Puppy Carer for Seeing Eye Dogs Australia (SEDA) is one of the most enjoyable ways to volunteer and it is also a great way to make a difference.

It isn’t for everyone but being a Puppy Carer can be a wonderful way to experience the benefits and joys of pet ownership without the long-term time or financial commitments.

Under the guidance of a SEDA Puppy Supervisor, you teach your puppy basic obedience and social ‘skills’ with many of the commands they will use as a fully-trained Seeing Eye Dog.

With more and more Australians losing their sight each year, the need for trained Seeing Eye Dogs is growing rapidly and right now SEDA is in urgent need of loving homes for puppies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

If you live in Brisbane, Melbourne or Perth and love

puppies you might want to consider whether you could be one of our very special volunteer Puppy Carers.

The puppy caring program requires volunteers to care for a puppy in their home from the age of eight weeks until they are around 12 -18 months old.

Puppy Carer Supervisors are on hand to help out with advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week so carers are not left with questions. In addition to home visits, training sessions are held for all puppies each month.

Puppy carers can also participate in our wonderful Meet and Greet days and thank the people who are supporting their training. Our Puppy Parents are such important volunteers to SEDA and we thank them for all the love and support they show the puppies as this is the foundation for their learning when formal training begins. Thank you loving puppy parents!

whAT’S nEw

The Ballarat Day Program (a four-day a week crafts group run from Ballarat Vision Australia for around 50-60 Vision Australia clients) has been collecting money since 2010 for their sponsored Seeing Eye pup, Alfie (pictured at right).

Clients donate gold coins and one lady even collects coins for Alfie from visitors to her home!

Recreational Support Worker Fiona Attwood, who organises the craft program which includes ceramics, woodwork and gardening, says they look forward to seeing Alfie graduate as he is now in training at Camp SEDA. Since August 2010 they have raised $2,668.

Photo: Alfie is being helped to become a Seeing Eye Dog through his generous sponsors including the Ballarat Day Program.

� Broad-spectrum parasite protection and prevention backed by a 100% guarantee†

� 1

� Total protection from heartworm and all major intestinal worms including

� A convenient and easy-to -dose chew made from real beef, that dogs love!

†Based on the SENTINEL SPECTRUM 100% GUARANTEE. To be covered by the guarantee, Sentinel Spectrum Tasty Chews must be given according to the product instructions on the pack and pack leaflet. See our product leaflet for details. 1Dryden M. et. al. Evaluation of the ovicidal activity of lufenuron and spinosad on flea eggs from treated dogs. Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. For full product details contact Novartis Customer Assistance on 1800 633 768 TOLL FREE, 8.30am - 5.30pm E.S.T. Mon to Fri from anywhere in Australia. Sentinel Spectrum (milbemycin oxime, praziquantel, lufenuron). Sentinel® is a registered trademark of Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland. © 2011 Novartis Animal Health Australasia Pty Ltd, ABN 64 076 745 198, 54 Waterloo Road, North Ryde NSW 2113, Australia. SEN00672LOUD0112

seda merchandiseDon’t forget that we have a lovely range of puppy products on our website: www.visionaustralia.org. So give a gift that will bring smiles and at the same time help train our little puppies. We’ll have some great new gifts coming soon too.

donors we are listening!A special thank you to all the wonderful supporters who were sent the donor survey and took the time to give us their feedback. We were delighted with the amount of responses and are taking all your valuable insights on board for the future.

coins help alfie

Last newsletter we introduced Doreen, a fully-sponsored Seeing Eye puppy. Margaret and her brother Ashton chose to honour their late mother by taking out a full sponsorship which gave them the right to choose the pup’s name.

It costs $30,000 to breed, raise and train one of our pups and anyone taking out full sponsorship has naming rights, whether an individual or a company. When a litter of five Labradors were born just over a year ago, Doreen was one of them and she became Margaret and Ashton’s special sponsor pup.

Ashton explains that their mother Doreen was very active in working for charities, including Vision Australia and was often raising money for various causes and helping people.

“She was a nurse, she helped members of our family and so many other people,” recalls Ashton. “We decided that we would like to remember her in a positive way through sponsoring a puppy which will also grow to help people.”

As sometimes occurs during the training, a puppy has to be withdrawn for reasons of

PuPPy uPDATE

Ashton and Margaret

remembering mum

proudly sponsoring

playtime

Visit www.rudducks.com.au to view our range

or call (03) 8769 3200 to find your nearest stockist.

preparing your home for a new pet puppy

TrAining TiPS

before bringing home a new puppy, you’ll want to make sure your house is safe. Follow this checklist to keep your pet out of danger:

Give your house a good clean and relocate small and breakable items. If swallowed they may cause damage to the mouth and internal organs.

Store all insecticides, fertilisers, mothballs and other household cleaners in cabinets or on high shelves.

Seeds from some fruits and plants, such as apricots, spinach and tomato vines can be fatal in large dosages. For a list of dangerous plants, consult your vet.

Keep the toilet seat down. Sometimes puppies are tempted to drink the water from the toilet bowl. This habit can be hard to break, and it’s harmful to your pup.

Unplug, remove or cover any electrical cords in your puppy’s confinement area. Chewing on them can cause severe mouth burns, electrocution and fires.

Close off balconies and high decks. Puppies and small mature dogs can easily slip through openings and fall.

temperament, and this has occurred with little Doreen. However, a new Doreen will be introduced in the next issue and the work will continue, thanks to Margaret and Ashton’s full sponsorship.

For information on how you can help SEDA through your will call 1300 84 74 66.

new graduates since July 11

Winsome, Willow, (W) Miri – Labrador Sire: Rocky Dam: Cheree Whelped: 20.06.11

Xanthe – Golden Retriever (bought) Whelped: 18.06.11

Yana – Labrador (bought) Whelped: 26.06.11

Ziggy and Zeta – Labrador (bought) Whelped: 16.08.11

Angus – Labrador (bought) Whelped: 27.08.11

Baden, Bentley, Bobby, Buckley, Buddy, (B) Milly – Labrador Sire: Snow Dam: Ultra Whelped: 01.09.11

Callum, Carrie, Carter, Champ, Claude, Cleo, (C) Tina – Labrador Sire: Snow Dam: Peppa Whelped: 03.09.11

Daisy and Dylan – Labrador (bought) Whelped: 21.08.11

Ekka and Elmo – Labrador X Golden Retriever (bought) Whelped: 25.08.11

Farrah, Fergus, Ferris and Florrie – Labrador (bought) Whelped: 01.10.11

Ginger and Gregor – Labrador (bought) Whelped: 25.10.11

litter box

Client State Dog name Breed Sex Puppy Carer

Alan VIC Nikki LbxGR F Barbie Trewin & Phil TaylorNina VIC Walter Lb M Rhonda NolanGillian VIC Fern LbXGR F Sue & Peter BattyeIsabelle NSW Shelley Lb F Dianne & Dedy FriebeLiz VIC Oona Lb F Kim RulachAdam VIC Usher Lb M Lyn AllisonWilliam VIC Smartie Lb M Denise & Hayley CowanClaire QLD Nancy LbxGR F Debbie StevensFrances QLD Rolo GR M Lorrain McBainMark WA Vovo Lb M Maggie RadcliffeBrad NSW Norris LbxGR M Kate Cooper & Peter GrangerRhiannon NSW Petra Lb F Gwen ClementsTamara WA Rex GR M Jodie PeacockSheryl TAS Snoopy Lb M Coralee AskewGreg NSW Pax Lb M Alison & Brian JonesLiz VIC Xena Lb F Rosalie & Ron DewarAviva NSW Warwick Lb M Letita SanfordKris NSW Stitch Lb M David StapletonAnn NSW Lance Lb M Peter Ryan & Rebecca MaxwellDaniel QLD Ugg Lb M Susan DouglasBrent VIC Yorrick Lb M Morag JonesNatasha QLD Zahra GR F Mary SheehanRos QLD Watcher Lb M Wilhelmina Van der LindenSharon ACT Vena Lb F Deirdre RobatRobert WA Hillsy Lb M Carolyn MoorsheadAnne QLD Wendy Lb F Kim TollidayRolf NSW Echo Lb F Nichola Doxford & Anne Epstein

GR (Golden Retriever) Lb (Labrador) LbxGR (Labrador & Golden Retriever)

yes, I would like to: Sponsor a Seeing Eye Puppy, with a monthly donation of:

$25 $30 $50 My choice: $

give a one-off gift of: $30 $60 $100 My choice: $

Title: First name: Surname: Address: Suburb: State: Postcode: Phone: Email:

I would like information on making a bequest.

Please debit my: Mastercard Visa Amex Diners

Card no: / / / Expiry date: / Name on card: Signature: or My cheque/money order is enclosed.

Send me a direct debit form to debit my bank account (monthly donations only).

ACN 108 391 831 ABN 67 108 391 831

SEEing EyE Dog ProFilE

Queensland Seeing Eye Dog Karen (nicknamed ‘Compass’ because of her expertise in wayfinding) recently played an important role in educating the public on the need for equality of access to holiday accommodation for people with Seeing Eye Dogs, thanks to her good behaviour.

Last year, two clients with Seeing Eye Dogs approached Vision Australia for assistance after being refused accommodation in a popular tourist area on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland because they had Seeing Eye Dogs with them.

Our Queensland advocacy officer, Liz Jeffery, approached the individual accommodation houses and arranged a meeting with the Maleny

Chamber of Commerce.

Compass attended the meeting, along with her handler Robi. However, the members at the meeting had no idea that Compass was present until she emerged from sleeping under her chair!

After completing her talk, Robi (pictured at right with Compass) handed out window stickers reading ‘Seeing Eye Dogs Welcome Here’ and donation boxes, which were also in demand.

Ongoing education of the general public about the importance of Seeing Eye Dogs and their handlers’ rights is an important task for our advocacy experts.

taking direction from compass

Phone: 1800 42 20 77 or online: www.seda.org.au or post: GPO Box 9802, in your capital city or fax: (02) 9334 3126