Bro Mike Barringer, a member of Lodge of Brevity & Lodge of Economy, is currently ‘boarding’ a Cocker Spaniel puppy for the charity ‘Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. This involves looking after the puppy, named Georgie, for 12-months.
During this time, Mike will not only provide a loving home with a secure garden, additionally, he must provide access to a computer & video calling facilities, which is essential for online training & induction courses.
The programme also requires adequate time to dedicate to training a young dog on a daily basis, plus access to a vehicle for training and emergency purposes.
Following this initial and vital element of the training programme, Georgie will then leave Mike to go on for more specialist training for the job.
Commenting on the role, Mike said: “We have had the dog for seven weeks now, although his stay may be less than 12-months, to fit in with the future training programme. We have known from the start that this is the position – so we will be sad to see him go, but in the meantime, we are really enjoying his stay with us.
“We currently receive instructions from charity staff on what basic training the dog requires to fit in with the dog’s future training. The charity supplies everything for you to board the dog, including the dog food so it is not financially stretching.
Mike concluded by saying: “It is a way of helping someone who is less fortunate than yourself, which fits in nicely with our masonic ethos”.
Anyone interested in supporting the charity can obtain more information from the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People website at: https://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/