Dogsey

PUPPY love was in the air after four-month-old pooch Freddie paid a visit to students during Guide Dogs Week.

Golden Retriever Freddie, a guide dog in training, visited Sunderland College’s Bede Campus with puppy walker Ethne Brown, to celebrate and raise awareness of the Guide Dogs charity.

Ethne, who has helped to raise 17 guide dogs, gave a presentation about the charity and its work with blind and partially-sighted people to the college’s Together Activity Group (Tag), which supports students with disabilities and learning difficulties.

She said: “Freddie and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Sunderland College. I think that the students understood how a guide dog can change a person’s life for the better, by giving them their independence and boosting their confidence in their everyday life.”

The visit was one of a series of events at the college during Guide Dog Week, which ended on Sunday.

Former student Craig Blackbird, with his guide dog Commando, gave a talk about his experiences as a guide dog owner to students at Hylton and Bede campuses.

Craig completed a Business HND at the college in June and is now studying at Sunderland University.