Shaggy dog story a Flash of inspiration for Joanna
TODAY is International Guide Dog Day, and Swansea-born TV and movie star Joanna Page is teaming up with the sight loss charity to help raise awareness of Guide Dogs’ 90th anniversary year.
In their new Flash the Pup campaign, the Gavin and Stacey actress is accompanied by Guide Dogs’ newest recruit Flash, a four-month-old, yellow labrador named after one of the first ever guide dogs back in 1931.
With the new campaign, Guide Dogs aims to celebrate and thank more than 14,000 Guide Dogs volunteers who provide 13 million hours of volunteer support every year, helping ensure people living with sight loss can live the life they choose.
Since 1931, Guide Dogs has partnered over 36,000 people with a guide dog and transformed the lives of thousands more through its support services.
Joanna said: “It was such a pleasure to meet the real-life Flash today. Her name carries so much history for Guide Dogs in its 90th year, and I’m delighted to help the charity tell the story of Flash and other lifechanging dogs like her.
“Of course, Flash’s incredible journey wouldn’t be possible without Guide Dogs’ amazing volunteers.
“We’re celebrating them throughout the year, starting with a gorgeous animated film that everyone should watch. I was thrilled to be the voice of Flash in the audio story, which means everyone can enjoy this wonderful tale.”
Guide Dogs has immortalised Flash in a new short film. The three-minute film shows an animated version of Flash the Pup on her journey to becoming a guide dog.
In the film, we see yellow labrador puppy Flash meet her new puppy raiser Annie for the first time. We then follow them through Flash’s first year of training, and watch as Annie helps familiarise Flash with the different environments inside and out, and teaches her her basic obedience and how she can ignore distractions like loud cars and lightning.
The film ends with Annie dropping Flash off at the Guide Dogs for her formal training to start.
As the film draws to a close, we see Annie walking along the high street with a new puppy, and a fully trained Flash leads her owner down a pavement opposite.
Lara Rivans, head of volunteering at Guide Dogs, said: “In our 90th year we want to raise awareness and thank over 14,000 amazing volunteers who give us around 13 million hours of support each year.
“They are at the heart of what we do and without them we wouldn’t be able to help the thousands of people who use our life-changing services.
“As we look to the future, we know we need to be there for even more people with sight loss, so by supporting Guide Dogs and sponsoring a pup like Flash, you can help us change even more lives in the next 90 years.”
To sponsor a puppy like Flash and find out more about Guide Dogs, visit www.guidedogs.org. uk
You can see the film on Youtube at https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sgkkzxuitac
The audio version featuring Joanna is at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=bg8fg33k3au