Volunteers who have trained guide dogs in Northampton for combined total of more than 100 years receive awards

Janice and Roy Peasland were presented with a bronze statuette of a guide dog for their 40 years of service to Northampton guide dogs

Northampton Guide Dogs has presented Janice and Roy Peasland, who have cared for 16 guide dog puppies, with a bronze statuette of a guide dog for their 40 years of service.

The couple first started volunteering as puppy walkers after seeing an advert in the Chronicle & Echo in the early 1970s and quickly became more involved and joined the fund-raising committee soon after.

All the guide dog puppies trained by the couple have gone on to qualify as fully trained guide dogs or breeding stock and nine of the 16 puppies in their care were German Shepherd puppies.

Basil Root was presented with a certificate to mark his 35 years of service with Northampton guide dogs

After retiring from puppy walking the couple still support the organisation at many of the fund-raising events that are carried out throughout the year.

Basil Root, who has been a guide dog volunteer for 35 years, has also been presented with a certificate of appreciation from the Mayor of Northampton Councillor Christopher Malpas on behalf of the branch.

Mr Root said “I really can’t believe that this is happening, things like this always happen to other people.”