Staffordshire great-grandmother wins royal award after caring for nearly 300 guide dog puppies in her home

Sandra Boden, whose grandchildren affectionately call her ‘Nanny Dogs’, signed up as a volunteer for the charity in 1981 and since then, she’s looked after 39 litters of guide dog pups in her home, which amounts to 293 puppies.

173 of these pups have qualified as working guide dogs and 12 have joined the charity’s world-renowned breeding programme.

Sandra, who is now 79, started volunteering for the organisation as a Puppy Raiser, looking after a pup for a year at a time, before they started their guide dog training.

She then decided to become a Breeding Dog Volunteer, giving a permanent home to guide dog mums and helping them give birth to their litters in her home.

After deciding to officially retire from volunteering, Sandra’s incredible contribution was recognised at the Guide Dogs’ Local Volunteer Awards earlier this month, where she was presented with the Princess Alexandra Award.

The Lifetime Achievement award, named after the charity’s patron, HRH Princess Alexandra, is awarded to volunteers who demonstrate an exceptional dedication to Guide Dogs over their lifetime.

Sandra said: “I used to live in Leamington Spa, where there’s a large guide dog training centre, and I would see dogs out training all the time.

“When I moved to Staffordshire, I decided to start volunteering as a Puppy Raiser.

“I raised seven puppies and then decided I would become a Breeding Dog Volunteer and take on a guide dog mum full-time.

“My first guide dog mum was called Inga and she arrived already expecting a litter.

“There were no scans in those days, so you just had to wait and see how many pups they were going to have.

“Having litters born at home was absolutely fine.

“When Inga’s litter arrived, my children were aged 12, 10 and 8. Since then, I’ve had grandchildren who’ve helped with pups and even some of my great-grandchildren have met them – I’m known as ‘Nanny Dogs.’

“My children have grown up with guide dog puppies as a feature of their home and it’s done them the world of good.

“All the mums I’ve cared for have been really good. They’re all special dogs – I can remember each one.

“It has become part of my life and I’m a bit lost now - I’m sorry to finish.”

In total, Sandra gave a permanent home to nine guide dog mums and a temporary home to seven other guide dog mums, who were having litters.

Guide Dogs tries to ensure all its mums have permanent homes where they can give birth, but in exceptional circumstances, such as an emergency, a temporary home of another volunteer is used.

During her retirement, Sandra will continue to care for retired guide dog mum Millie, and nine-year-old withdrawn guide dog Laddie.

Janine Dixon, Breeding and Welfare Operations Lead at Guide Dogs, said: “As a charity, we are heavily reliant on the amazing contribution of volunteers to keep our life-changing services running.

“Over the past 40 years, Sandra has been an exceptional volunteer and has personally contributed towards the creation of 173 guide dogs, which is an incredible achievement.

“She truly represents the essence of all things Guide Dogs and has gone above and beyond in her support of our organisation.

“We cannot thank her, and her family enough, and we’re extremely grateful for all that she has done for us.”

Guide Dogs is currently recruiting for more Breeding Dog Volunteers, who could give a permanent home to a guide dog mum.

The charity covers all the costs involved with having a guide dog mum living with you, such as food and vet costs, and when the dog retires from the breeding programme, they can enjoy their retirement with you too. 

To find out more about becoming a Breeding Dog Volunteer for Guide Dogs, contact volattractcentral@guidedogs.org.uk or call 0800 781 1444.