Top gong goes to the dogs

AUTHENTICITY, consistency and transparency — these are the fundamentals of Guide Dogs Australia.

And it’s also why spokeswoman Karen Hayes believes Guide Dogs has been named the country’s most trusted charity for a sixth straight year.

Guide Dogs received the honour yesterday as part of the annual Reader’s Digest’s Trusted Brands survey.

Ms Hayes said the achievement highlighted the importance of trust between the public and the not-forprofit sector.

She said the charity followed three fundamentals of trust — authenticity, consistency and transparency.

“At a time where many areas of society are being questioned for their transparency, it’s a reminder of the value of trust and reliability, especially in our industry,” she said.

“Trust is at the heart of everything we do, especially between a person with blindness or low vision and their guide dog.”

Guide Dogs Tasmania chief executive Clare Allen said being part of a trusted brand meant staff could continue providing Guide Dogs to people in need.

“We rely on the community to help fund our Guide Dog program through generous donations, and without people’s trust, we simply wouldn’t be able to raise and train guide dogs here in Tasmania,” she said.