DOG LOVERS in both Wrexham and Flintshire are being offered a fantastic opportunity to volunteer with Guide Dog puppies this year.

Residents of Wrexham and Mold can apply to get their paws on the pups as Guide Dogs expands its North Wales puppy raising scheme.

The successful candidates will welcome a guide dog puppy into their home when it is about seven weeks old and teach it basic good behaviour during its first year of life.

They help get the puppy accustomed to a home environment, noise and the bustle of towns, and prepare for the working life ahead by going on trains and buses, and into shops.

Guide Dogs supplies basic equipment and covers all veterinary and feeding expenses.

To become a puppy raiser, volunteers need access to a car. They have to be with the puppy for most of the day, and free to take their puppy into many varied environments – sometimes busy and difficult.

Their yard or garden will also need to be securely fenced so that the puppy remains safely within its confines.

Sarah King, volunteer coordinator for Guide Dogs, said: "It's really exciting to be able to open up this opportunity to people in Wrexham and Mold.

"A lot of our puppy raisers work part-time or are newly retired, and say it's one of the best things they have done. It keeps them fit and they meet lots of new people when they go out and about with the puppy.

"It can be demanding - anyone who has ever had a pup in the house will tell you that - but also enormous fun."

If you would like to know more, contact sarah.king@guidedogs.org or ring Sarah on 07775 016153.