Residents at Moat House Care Home in Burbage are on puppy watch this week as they eagerly await the arrival of Jess’s litter – a golden retriever chosen by Guide Dogs UK to be a breeding dog due to her excellent genetics and temperament.
Jess, who was raised in Edinburgh as a puppy, returned to the National Breeding Centre in Leamington before being placed with a loving foster family in February 2024. Now, after being mated with another golden retriever named Zorba, she is expecting around 7–8 puppies, due any day now.
The Moat House community has been playing its part in preparing for Jess’s big day by collecting and saving their daily newspapers – a practical and thoughtful gesture to help create a clean and comfortable environment for the pups’ arrival.
“We’re all so excited to welcome the puppies,” said one resident. “Saving the newspapers has given us something to look forward to each morning – we’re doing our bit to support Jess!”
The puppies will be born at home and stay with Jess and her foster family for their first seven weeks. After that, they will return to the Guide Dogs Breeding Centre before being matched with a puppy raiser for 12 months of socialisation and training. Many will go on to become life-changing guide dogs, and some may even follow in Jess’s pawsteps as future breeding dogs.
The team at Moat House, alongside Jess’s foster family, are proud to be part of such an inspiring journey that will ultimately help transform lives through greater independence and companionship.
For more information or pictures from the day, check out our Facebook Page
Or for more information on life at Moat House Care Home, visit our homes page.
