NORTHWICH has become the home to a special puppy which has arrived in the town to begin training as a guide dog.

Eight-week-old Jenny is one of nine puppies born to guide dog mum Yuko, a two-year-old Japanese black Labrador.

Yuko made the 5,000-mile journey from Japan's Guide Dog Association to join Guide Dog's UK, as part of the charity's international collaboration programme.

Following health and temperament assessments, Yuko became the first female dog from Japan to be selected for the charity's breeding programme, becoming a guide dog mum to future generations of guide dogs here in the UK.

Now the Labrador-cross Golden Retrievers are of age, they have left their mum to start their guide dog journeys.

And in the last week, Jenny has just met her puppy raisers for the first time in Northwich.

Vanessa Scott, puppy raising operations manager for Guide Dogs, said: "We’re so excited we have some of Yuko’s litter here in the North West and we’re looking forward to seeing they progress through their training to become life-changing guide dogs.

"With Yuko coming from a collaboration with the Japanese Guide Dogs programme, this helps us to improve genetic diversity, while also retaining the temperament and health needed to produce successful working guide dogs of the future.

"Our puppy raisers provide puppies with vital foundations for their future role as life-changing guide dogs.

"We’re so grateful to all our volunteers and we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without their support and time."

Volunteer puppy raisers provide puppies with a loving home for the first year of their life. They teach them basic commands and help them get used to different environments and sights, sounds and smells.

Vanessa added: "We’re always looking for more puppy raisers to take care of our dogs from when they’re around eight-weeks old, up until they start their guide dog training – around 12-14 months old.

"You get training and support throughout, so you don’t need experience with dogs. Guide Dogs covers costs including dog food, so you’re never out of pocket."

There are around 3,500 guide dogs in the UK, who will of all have had a volunteer puppy raiser preparing them for their working role.

Guide Dogs is currently looking for more volunteer puppy raisers across the North West.

For more information visit: www.guidedogs/org.uk/puppyraiser.