New arrivals welcomed by lifesaving dog charity

A CHARITY which trains dogs to save lives perform by detecting human disease is celebrating the arrival of a very special new litter.

Medical Detection Dogs has welcomed four golden retriever labrador cross puppies and is now urgently seeking volunteers to help socialise the future lifesavers.

With the right care and training, the dogs could one day help detect serious illnesses such as bowel cancer and Parkinson’s faster and less invasively than other methods or could provide life-changing support as highly-trained Medical Alert Assistance Dogs.

But to reach that potential, these puppies need puppy socialisers, volunteers who provide them with the nutrition and care they need, whilst nurturing them to become confident, capable dogs that are unfazed by the world around them.

The charity and long-term partner Royal Canin are looking for volunteers - ideally based within an hour of Medical Detection Dogs’ hubs in Milton Keynes, Essex or Perth, Scotland.

In addition to doing basic training daily and building up public access training gradually, socialisers need to be at home regularly with their puppy, provide them with their daily nutritional needs, follow positive training methods using science-based Royal Canin food, and introduce them to a wide variety of everyday environments.

Chris Allen, head of dog supply and training at Medical Detection Dogs, said: “The arrival of this new litter is a joyful milestone for us, but it comes with a pressing challenge.

“To continue our groundbreaking work in the fight against life-threatening diseases, we urgently need more volunteer puppy socialisers to step forward. Their role is absolutely critical; without them these dogs cannot gain the vital foundations they need to one day save lives as disease detection and assistance dogs”.

Every puppy at Medical Detection Dogs is raised in a loving home environment, never in kennels, and receives the highest standards of care. At the heart of this is nutrition.

Not only does Royal Canin’s science-led diets power each puppy’s healthy growth and training, but the brand also provides puppy socialisers with complimentary stock throughout the socialising process.

This vital support ensures volunteers can fully focus on nurturing the puppies to become strong, healthy, and highly capable assistance and detection dogs, safe in the knowledge that they are receiving high-quality diets, carefully formulated to provide the right nutrients.

Suzy Roffey, strategic partnerships manager at Royal Canin, said: “Our purpose at Royal Canin is to make a better world for pets because we know that pets make our world better, something Medical Detection Dogs demonstrate every day.

“Through our science-led nutrition, we provide Medical Detection Dogs with the optimal diet at every stage of development. From mealtimes to rewards in training, Royal Canin is there every step of the way.

“We’ve proudly partnered with the charity for over fifteen years, providing tailored nutrition that has supported the training and wellbeing of all the charity’s dogs. This nutrition lays the foundation for strong, healthy puppies who can go on to make a real difference in people’s lives as assistance and detection dogs.”

Claire Guest, CEO of Medical Detection Dogs, said: “Royal Canin has supported our mission from the very beginning, and they play a vital role in helping us raise and train dogs that transform lives.

“The strength of our partnership means we can be confident that every dog receives the best possible nutrition for their needs. We are hugely grateful for the additional support they provide to our puppy socialisers.

“This is a contribution that makes an enormous difference both to our amazing volunteers and of course the future of these incredible dogs”.

For more information, call Medical Detection Dogs on 01296 655888 or email operations@medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk