Today (23rd August), Chiltern Railways welcomed a VIP - Very Important Puppy - to Leamington Spa station. Albert, a would-be Guide Dog, visited the station as part of his training and met the staff member who named him.
Albert was the third puppy to be sponsored by Chiltern Railways through collection boxes on stations. He is now six months old and is half way through the puppy walking stage and has already begun his training on public transport and has quickly taken to it.
Jamie Green, Business Improvement Manager at Chiltern Railways, who named the puppy, said: “It was a pleasure to meet Albert today and hear how his training is going. I’m delighted that the name I put forward was picked, and that Albert will soon go on to give freedom and independence to someone with sight loss.”
Felicity Stratton Community Fundraiser said “It costs over £5,000 to breed and puppy walk each guide dog puppy and the lifetime cost of a guide dog is over £55,000. This sponsorship will help Guide Dogs transform the lives of people who are blind or partially sighted. Thank you, Chiltern Railways!”.
Alan Riley, Customer Services Director at Chiltern Railways said: “We work closely with Guide Dogs to give training for our staff to ensure we are always improving the service we provide for our customers with accessibility needs. We feel it is important to support initiatives like this and also support charities like Guide Dogs.”