ROYAL CANIN AND VISION AUSTRALIA SEEING EYE DOGS CELEBRATE 20 YEARS TRANSFORMING LIVES
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The partnership has delivered over 4 million meals of specialised nutrition, supporting hundreds of Australians who are blind or low vision.
For someone living with blindness or low vision, a Seeing Eye Dog isn't just a companion, it's independence. It's the confidence to navigate a busy street, the freedom to attend appointments, meet with friends and go to work – all on their own schedule.
For 20 years, Royal Canin has provided science-led nutrition for every dog in Vision Australia's Seeing Eye Dogs program – from curious puppies learning the basics through to working Seeing Eye Dogs guiding their handlers across Australia.
Since 2006, that commitment has delivered 630 tonnes of food and over 4 million meals to approximately 2,850 dogs, while also providing crucial donations to The Petbarn Foundation Seeing Eye Dogs Appeal. More importantly, it's helped train and place over 700 Seeing Eye Dogs with handlers, giving hundreds of people the freedom to navigate the world independently.
“These remarkable Seeing Eye Dogs undergo two years of specialised training before dedicating themselves to demanding service. The best nutrition is fundamental to their development when they have an exceptional role to fulfil. It’s what keeps them sharp, healthy and ready to show up for those they accompany and protect," says Jeremy Sassoon, Managing Director, Royal Canin ANZ.
We believe in the extraordinary ability of pets to enrich our lives, and we are incredibly proud of this 20-year partnership, and that Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs continue to choose Royal Canin nutrition through generations of highly trained dogs
Vision Australia's Seeing Eye Dogs program has been breeding and training dogs for over 65 years. At more than $50,000 per dog and with over 200 puppies entering training each year, Nicola Cotton, National Manager Seeing Eye Dogs, says the program simply couldn't operate without partners like Royal Canin.
"Behind every handler confidently crossing the street or independently getting to work is a Seeing Eye Dog that's been supported by incredible partners. Royal Canin has been with us for 20 years – nourishing every Seeing Eye Dog from their first meal as a puppy, through to the moment they are matched with their handler. That consistency has been invaluable, and the impact is measured in transformed lives. Royal Canin is an enduring part of the Seeing Eye Dogs family,”
With over 55 years of nutritional expertise, every Royal Canin formula is developed not by trends in human nutrition, but through rigorous research by veterinarians, nutritionists, and scientists. For working dogs like Seeing Eye Dogs, whose physical and cognitive demands are extraordinary, and this kind of precision makes all the difference.
To mark the 20-year milestone, the two organisations today hosted The Puppy Games at Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs Mobility Training Centre in Kensington, where the program's newest recruits – puppies starting their training – tackled an obstacle course designed to prepare them for their future working lives.
The Puppy Games
The morning gave a rare glimpse into the early training stages that will one day help these playful puppies become someone's trusted companion.
As the newest recruits took their first steps at The Puppy Games today, Royal Canin and Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs are looking forward to continuing this long-term partnership, and the hundreds of Australians whose lives will be transformed because of it.
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