A Long-time volunteer, Peta Taaffe, tells why she volunteers to raise funds for Guide Dogs like Bruce, Nimo and Sarge, to assist Tom O’Neill. “ I’ve always liked dogs. We never had one when I was a child until we returned to Ireland,having been in England during the war, and then in Malta.I worked in the Department of Health and one day I visited the switchboard where I met a telephonist Tom O’Neill and his Guide Dog Bruce.I used to visit and chat with Tom regularly and upon my retirement I went to meet him to say goodbye. Immediately Tom said “Aha now you’ll have plenty of time to help with Guide Dogs”.That chat was 20 years ago and today, at 82 years old, I still enjoy being involved.I started by changing boxes. Sorting and counting the contents by hand. Then a machine arrived, it did it all, amazing. There is always fundraising, selling cards and calendars at Christmas, having a stall at events, sponsored dog walks, raffles, and many other ways of fundraising.Training a guide dog is complex and personal and based in Cork. As Tom travelled by train to work in Dublin the dog was trained in Cork station before Tom met him to familiarise him with trains. Cork is a terminus where trains start or stop. No-one remembered the Enterprise which doesn’t stop at Balbriggan station. Tom and Guide Dog Nimo, with instructor PJ Hogan, were training on the platform when the Enterprise thundered by with no warning, at an enormous and noisy speed. All were taken totally by surprise and poor Nimo’s nerves were shattered and never recovered. Nimo was retired and returned to his puppy raiser who could never slam a door as Nimo got so frightened. 7 months later Tom was successfully partnered with Sarge, who had been trained to expect a fast noisy nonstop train going through a station.To hear more or become involved please contact Balbriggan/North Co Dublin branch of IGDB.phone/text 0857663107 or contact them on Facebook/Balbriggan.Branch.of.Guide.Dogs.”