Pulhams Coaches has partnered with the national charity Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to offer free travel for guide dog trainers on its services.
This initiative covers all Pulhams bus routes across the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire, with the company’s 120-strong fleet accommodating working guide dogs.
Free Travel for Puppy Raisers
Volunteer puppy raisers can access free travel by presenting their Guide Dog ID pass while accompanied by a guide dog puppy. This offer is effective immediately and aims to support the essential work of guide dog trainers.
Alex Chutter, Area Director for Pulhams Coaches, emphasised the importance of this initiative: “This is an important initiative we’re pleased to deliver in support of Guide Dog’s work training dogs which provide an essential service. Guide dog trainers play a significant role in this process, so recognising their work by allowing them to use our services for free is something everyone at Pulhams was keen to support.”
Enhancing Guide Dog Training
Guide Dogs UK has matched 36,000 people with guide dogs since its inception in 1931 and currently has over 1,500 puppies in the care of volunteer puppy raisers. The charity is the only organisation in the UK that breeds and trains guide dogs, relying almost entirely on donations for funding.
Haley Andrews, Head of Puppy Raising for Guide Dogs, expressed gratitude for Pulhams’ support: “We’re extremely grateful to Pulhams for offering free travel to our volunteers, meaning our dogs can gain experiences around public transport and continue to learn about the world around them. Our volunteer puppy raisers work hard to get our puppies used to all the experiences they may face as a working guide dog. Learning to travel on a bus calmly and confidently is an important part of any guide dog’s training, helping to prepare them for their future role as a life-changing guide.”
Comprehensive Training Curriculum
Guide Dogs UK trains puppies through a detailed curriculum that includes 37 key behaviours, taught using marker training. This programme ensures that the dogs develop into confident and obedient companions who remain focused and undistracted in public transport settings while wearing their harness uniforms.
Pulhams Coaches’ initiative not only aids guide dog trainers but also contributes to the broader mission of Guide Dogs UK in preparing these animals for their crucial roles. By providing free travel, Pulhams also helps ensure that the puppies receive comprehensive exposure to various environments, which is essential for their training.
For those interested in supporting the work of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, donations can be made at Guide Dogs UK.
