Pups ready for $22,500 investment

Picture / Paul Estcourt

Getting each of these five-week-old labrador puppies at the Guide Dog Breeding Centre in Manurewa to the stage where it can be matched with a blind person will cost on average $22,500.

Today is the start of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind 2005 Guide Dog Appeal, which runs until Sunday.

Trained dogs are given free to foundation members. All costs are covered by donations - the organisation does not receive any Government funding. Collectors will be out and about all weekend, and cellphone users can also donate $3 simply by texting GDOG to 883 on their mobiles.