FOSTER families are needed to care for guide dog puppies.

Guide Dogs Cymru are searching for volunteers to raise puppies, until they are ready for specialized training when they are one-year-old.

Applicants are needed from Gwent, particularly in Pontypool, and must have time for this full-time commitment, along with transport and a secure garden.

Responsibilities for volunteers include teaching the dogs obedience, and helping them adapt to different environments.

Karon Thomas, of New Inn, and her son Eirian, 22, have spent the last year sharing their home with Sophie, a Labrador retriever.

Ms Thomas said: “I’ve taken Sophie on buses and trains, and into markets, shops and cafes. We’ve also spent time at the beach, in the forest, near reservoirs and rivers, and on canal walks.

“At night, Sophie lets me know when she is ready for her bed and sleeps 'til 8am the next day. I can guarantee that I can sit down and watch Love Island.

“Guide Dogs has a great support network if I need a break. They arrange for Sophie to go to boarders, who are very accommodating. They pick her up and bring her back."

As Sophie is now one-year-old, she will be leaving for guide dog school where she will learn how to aid blind people.

“I don’t know what it will be like saying goodbye to her,” admitted Ms Thomas.

“But I look forward to being kept up to date with her progress. I often wonder if I will see her working as a guide dog in the future, and recognize her.”

On August 7, representatives from Guide Dogs Cymru will be available between 11am and 2pm, at Pontypool Leisure Centre, with more information. Alternatively, you can phone their volunteer consultant, Steve Kersley, on 07785 907728 or email steve.kersley@guidedogs.org.uk