A NEW Tavistock area fundraising group for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is looking for volunteers. The group was recently set up as a result of two collection and awareness days in the town. Two guide dog owners from Yelverton, plus other volunteers, have joined together, and will be attending events such as the Lions Day in the Meadows in July ? where they will also help with the dog show ? as well as organising collections. Anyone interested in helping can contact Pam Gratton on 01752 892250. Tamar valley guide dog puppy walker George, who is a familiar face in Tavistock, recently featured on BBC?s Spotlight with his latest Labrador puppy Maisie. Radio Cornwall?s recent puppy project raised £5,000 towards the cost of training Maisie, which takes between a year to 14 months of initial training followed by three to six months of training at Lymington and finishing school for two to three months. The total cost of training is between £35,000 and £40,000 over a dog?s lifetime. Maisie and George will be appearing at the Royal Cornwall Show at the beginning of June, both in the guide dog tent and the BBC marquee, and at Pencarrow on June 25.
