Dogs Trust or Sponsor a Guide Dog?

[pouraglasshalffull]

I am getting DP a sponsorship of a dog for Xmas and I am torn between the two to get, unfortunately I cannot afford both

Can someone recommend one over the other? Or give me more info on what they receive from each one? There was info on the websites but it wasn't in great depth

Thankyou in advance

DD has a dog sponsored at the dogs trust that was a gift, she gets a letter every quarter I think, with a card for Christmas/valentines, and some pictures.
It's very cute & she likes getting the updates, particularly as she'll never have a dog of her own.

I wouldn't give money to either of them. They both declared an income of more than £100 million last year and GD is a very wealthy charity.

If you want to sponsor a dog, have a look at local dog rescues. Dogs Blog is a good place to start :)

www.hearingdogs.org.uk/sponsor-a-puppy/why-sponsor-a-puppy/
I sponsor a hearing dog pup. Even if you don't go for them, the cuteness overload on their Facebook page is epic 🐶

Wow I had no idea they made that much profit!

Does anyone know any other smaller dog charities I can donate to? DP is a massive dog lover and I know he would really appreciate and love this gift

Probably not much help but I would look for a local one - perhaps try google or local directories ?

I sponsored a pup on DS' behalf for 2 years through Guide Dogs, we received a booklet about the charity, 3 monthly "pup dates" relating to where they were at on their training and a Christmas card and a thank you letter when they moved on.

We sponsored 3 dogs during our time with them and all of the paperwork was the same with the names changed so I cancelled instead of opting for a 4th. That was about a year ago now and I receive regular begging phone calls and letters asking us to come back despite me requesting them to stop wasting money contacting us.

Could you look at a local dog shelter/kennel instead? Many ask for donations of food/supplies/time to keep them running rather than money but I'm sure they would be grateful for a one off payment.

At Battersea you can sponsor a kennel and they send you updates on the dogs that have been through your kennel .

I'd have a google for rescues local to you. Our local rescue has a few old dogs that will never be rehomed and can be sponsored.

What a nice idea for a present. Have you ever heard of the cinnamon trust? They are in need of volunteers all over the country to walk dogs for people that are old or very ill- he might like helping?

My disabled husband husband just got an assistance dog from Canine Partners, they do a sponsor a puppy and the dogs make such a difference.

I know guide dogs have a reputation for being wealthy and not in need of money but as someone with a close family member who has had 9 guide dogs over the years, the quality of life and independence I have seen that they give people is phenomenal. My relative would be housebound without her dog and would have missed out on so much over the years. As it is, she takes the train regularly and can enjoy holidays. She is a widow, lives alone, and her guide dog is her best friend. Where she would be without a dog terrifies me. The dogs cost around 25k over their lifetime, and there is always a massive waiting list for dogs.

I also have a visually impaired child relative and guide dogs run activity days throughout the year to help VI children gain new experiences and make friends. Guide dogs also help visually impaired children with mobility and long cane training and they provide accessible children's books in fonts of up to 48 point. They have a buddy dog scheme for children with a range of disabilities. They also offer advice on educational issues for VI children, ensuring they have equal access in the classroom.

For my family, if people were to stop giving to guide dogs, it would be an absolute disaster.