Puppies in Training

I saw my first puppies in training while here in Scotland this afternoon!!!! I would have asked the people who were walking them if I could take a picture of the leashes to show you guys because they don't use jackets like we do. They have a plaque on the leash. I didn't though because I was sitting with a friend in the Hub and he was helping me learn how to write essays in the UK and helping me calm down about exams this next week and I thought I was being rude enough when they walked by I completely stopped listening and just watched them. *oops* Erin forgets her manners sometimes and seeing the first PITs while I've been here just made me excited.

Anyway, thought I'd share the good news. I know there are PITs in Aberdeen and that if I'm able to raise next year I won't have to go far. :D

GDB UK

I heard back from someone here in the UK. I still don't know if I'll be able to puppy raise or even if I really want to in this little space, but I'm excited to be able to start helping out again. I might just be doing fundraising things this year, but maybe next year when I have a bigger place I'll be able to raise a puppy. :) We shall see though.

The Fight Begins

So, if you say my "Mostly Wordless Wednesday" yesterday you know that I have basically been away from Guide Dogs for a month and have gone almost a month without a dog or at least a pet. And I have to tell you, there is such fire in my heart and stomach that I can only describe the feeling as complete and utter HATRED. I mean it. I absolutely hate not having an animal around. I just don't feel...complete?...right?...sane? Anyway, if you read my other blog you will have noticed that I tried buying a stuffed cat to supplement the "no animal" thing. It's ok except, well, you know, my cat doesn't move. And so my fight is about to begin.

I would really love to puppy raise (which they call being a Puppy Walker) for the UK branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind. I thought I could stay away during the semesters of school and raise during the summer, but I was horribly mistaken. So I, with the help of my fabulous leader Mary, looked up GDB in the UK. They still use German Shepherds and I would love to raise one! They also use Border Collies occasionally and I think it would be very cool to raise one of those. But first comes the problem of my rooming.

I don't quite live in the dorms. I do live in University Accommodations, but it's not run exactly by the University. I can't quite describe it, but there is a part in my lease that says "no pets". Which brings me to the loophole. It didn't say "no animals" it just said "no pets". If I were to raise a puppy here he/she (though as you all know I am partial to females) would not be classified as a pet but a service dog in training. I don't know how far this is going to get me, but I'm going to try very hard to make this happen if not this semester then next. I'd ask for an older dog, probably with some problem because I love to have the "troubled child." Freya was a troubled child for a long time and Rocco was too for quite a while, so I'm just use to it. We'll see how everything goes, but wish me luck!