Birmingham midwife becomes volunteer puppy midwife

Fiona Jones has worked at Birmingham Women's Hospital for 14 years and has lots of experience supporting women who are giving birth. Having found out about Guide Dogs needing volunteers to support their doggy mums, Fiona felt she could use her midwifery skills to help.  

She signed up as a Breeding Dog Volunteer for the charity. The role involves giving a permanent home to a guide dog mum and supporting her with the birth of her puppies, with support from Guide Dogs.   Fiona explains: “I work at one of the largest women’s hospitals in the country and I’ve spent the majority of my career either on the delivery suite or in the birth centre. 

“My husband Richard, and I, have always wanted to have a dog one day, but never really knew when it would be the right time.  

“My father-in-law saw an appeal for volunteers who could give a home to a guide dog mum on the regional news, so I got curious and started looking into all of it.  

“We just thought it was a win-win on all fronts. It was a way we could help but also be well supported with our first dog.   

“It also seemed like a lovely opportunity to exercise my skills and for my children to experience that bit of my work at home.”  

Fiona and her family gave a home to Nellie, a two-year-old Golden Retriever guide dog mum, earlier this year. Nellie became a mum for the first time in October, giving birth to five future guide dogs. Fiona explains: “Supporting Nellie with her labour was lovely and I feel like I’ve got that different bond with her now - I think she felt safe with us.  

“She was so attentive and knew exactly what to do. It felt like how midwifery should be - you are just there to guard normality. 

“There were definitely similarities between human and dog labour, which was wonderful to see.  

“Birth is always magical when it goes well and you have a sense of pride of what you’ve achieved.”  Fiona and Richard’s children, Faye, 11, and Flynn, 8, also supported during Nellie’s birth. Fiona added: “I was really proud of them both - they were very respectful and encouraging.   

“They didn’t seem phased at all and they’ve seen birth now, which is a really valuable experience.  

“My son was there saying ‘Come on Nellie, you’re doing really well.’”  

The pups will stay at home with Fiona and her family until they are eight weeks old, before moving to start the first stages of their training. Fiona added: “As a family, we’re really enjoying the experience of looking after the pups.   

“Our children have loved it, but we’re keeping in mind they are off to do an important job soon too.”  

Guide Dogs is currently recruiting for more Breeding Dog Volunteers, like Fiona, across the Midlands. You do not need to have previous experience of owning a dog and Guide Dogs provides all the training you need, so you feel well prepared for when a guide dog mum gives birth. The charity covers all the costs involved with having a guide dog mum living with you, such as food and vet costs, and when the dog retires from the breeding programme, they can enjoy their retirement with you too.  

To be eligible for the role, you need to live within an hour’s drive of the charity’s National Centre just outside Leamington Spa. To find out more about volunteering as a Breeding Dog Volunteer for Guide Dogs, visit volattractcentral@guidedogs.org.uk or call 0345 143 0191.