A VERY special guide dog puppy will soon be seen out and about in Yeadon.

Sparkle, who is a female yellow labrador/golden retriever cross has been placed with her puppy walker, Belinda, who lives in Yeadon. She will live with Belinda until she is around 14 months old when she will then go to “big school” to train to be a guide dog.

Sparkle was sponsored by the staff at Marks and Spencer’s store in Moortown, Leeds, who raised over £11,000 to name two pups, through the Guide Dogs’ ‘Name a Puppy’ scheme. Another pup, Magic, has gone to a puppy walker in Rothwell, near Leeds.

Community Fundraiser for Guide Dogs in Leeds, Charlotte Walton said:“Each pup’s first year of training costs around £5,000 and we are extremely grateful to Marks and Spencer for choosing to support Guide Dogs. A name is the first gift a puppy receives. In raising the money to name Sparkle, Marks and Spencer have started her on a journey that will end with her becoming a lifeline to two people with sight loss. The store will receive regular updates, and when she is around six month’s old she will be taken to the store by her puppy walker to meet the staff.”

To find out more about Guide Dogs’ ‘Name a Puppy’ scheme, email: nameapuppy@guidedogs.org.uk or call 0118 983 0190.