Guide dog puppies take a trip to Neverland, as they meet cast of Birmingham Hippodrome’s Peter Pan
A group of special puppies have taken a trip to Neverland at Birmingham Hippodrome, to help support their vital guide dog training.
Four guide dog pups, Jack, Tillie, Ellie and India, were invited to visit the theatre and were given access to the stage.
They met the cast of Peter Pan, the theatre’s latest pantomime, including Alison Hammond, who plays The Magical Mermaid, Matt Slack who plays the role of Smee, Danny Mac who stars as Captain Hook and panto dame Andrew Ryan.
Each pup was accompanied by their volunteer Puppy Raiser, who looks after them until they are just over a year old, before they move to a Guide Dogs’ centre to start their formal training.
Volunteer Puppy Raisers for charity Guide Dogs provide puppies with vital foundations for their future role, teaching them basic commands and helping them get used to different environments.
Anna Standing, local Puppy Raising Operations Manager for Guide Dogs, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to Birmingham Hippodrome and to the cast of Peter Pan, for supporting us with this training session.
“As our puppies develop, it’s really important that they are exposed to different sights and sounds, so they grow up to become happy and confident guide dogs.
“Exploring the theatre and meeting the cast in costume provided a fantastic, sensory experience for our puppies and gave them an opportunity to get used to a theatre environment.”
Charlotte Boyer, Access Lead at Birmingham Hippodrome, said: “It was such a special moment having the guide dogs visit us at Birmingham Hippodrome.
“Not only did it brighten everyone's day but it also reminded us of how important the work is that Guide Dogs do and how they support so many of our customers.
“We are really looking forward to continuing working closely with Guide Dogs to continue to improve our provision for customers, staff members and volunteers.”
Guide Dogs is currently recruiting for more volunteer Puppy Raisers across The Midlands, who could raise a guide dog puppy in 2025.
The charity provides support and training for its Puppy Raisers and covers the essential costs involved with caring for a puppy, such as food and veterinary care.
To find out more about Puppy Raising for Guide Dogs, visit guidedogs.org.uk/volunteering or email volattractcentral@guidedogs.org.uk
