Pawsitively heartwarming: Local volunteer’s guide dogs featured on charity’s Christmas card

A Westbury Guide Dog volunteer has taken centre stage as two of her companions have become the face of the charity’s annual Christmas card campaign. 

Hilary Reed last year celebrated 40 years of volunteering for the charity which trains dogs to help people overcome the challenges of sight loss. Hilary started supporting the Guide Dogs charity in 1982 and since then, has trained over 50 guide dogs and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds through street collections, coffee mornings and other fundraising events. 

Now, her commitment is being celebrated in a special way as two of her canine companions, Tess and Roblyn, take the spotlight on the charity’s Christmas cards. 

Each year, the charity selects a heartwarming image for their festive cards, and this time, Tess, a labradoodle, and Roblyn, a German shepherd, both guide dogs in training under Hilary’s expert care, stole the spotlight, along with two other dogs. 

“I was thrilled to bits that Tess and Roblyn were chosen for our Christmas cards; they are such lovely dogs,” Hilary said. “The pictures have also been used in the charity’s DOG-a-logue (as opposed to a CAT-a-logue!) which sells a wide range of items to raise funds.” 

• The Christmas cards and other Christmas gifts are available on the charity’s website.