Award-winning Surrey and south west London dog crèche business, Bruce’s Doggy Day Care, has donated to the Guide Dogs Name a Puppy scheme and named one of its newest recruits.

The 12-week-old Golden Retriever has been aptly named Bruce! He will live in the home of his puppy walker volunteer until he is 12-14 months, where house training is already underway and he has been introduced to a collar and lead and gentle walks. It takes around two years of training before a puppy becomes a fully-fledged guide dog, so Bruce has some way to go yet.

Bruce Casalis, managing director, Bruce’s Doggy Day Care, said:

“Guide dog puppy Bruce is so small and cute it’s hard to believe that one day he will be the eyes of a blind person. It’s all down to the training and the intelligence of the dog which wouldn’t be possible without the support of the charity Guide Dogs. We’re delighted to be able to contribute in some small way and look forward to watching Bruce’s progress.”

A spokesperson for the Guide Dogs charity added:

“Our Name a Puppy scheme is a very popular fundraising opportunity and we are grateful to Bruce’s Doggy Day Care for working hard to raise money to name one of our puppies.”

Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss, and by 2050 there could be nearly four million. Every hour another person in the UK goes blind and the Guide Dogs charity makes sure they don’t lose their freedom as well. They rely on donations from companies and individuals to continue their life-changing work.

To get involved and find out more about the Guide Dogs Name a Puppy scheme – which includes regular ‘Pupdates’, photos, and a personalised certificate – visit www.guidedogs.org.uk