DOG-LOVERS in the region are being urged to foster a puppy for charity.

National charity, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, which has a training centre at Cliffe, near Selby, is appealing for volunteers to take in puppies and young dogs for anything up to six weeks.

The Beatrice Wright centre trains dogs to alert deaf people to everyday household sounds that the rest of us take for granted. The dogs they select for training come from various backgrounds including rescue centres and breeders. Sometimes the dogs are unwanted pets donated by members of the public. Once the dogs have been selected they need to be looked after temporarily until they are ready for training.

Without puppy fostering the charity would be unable to take on any more dogs for training. The charity is searching for people who live within a 30-mile radius of Cliffe and are at home during the day.

Volunteers need the time and energy to cope with a young dog and it is necessary that they do not have a dog of their own. If you are interested, please contact Jan Smith, manager of the Beatrice Wright Training Centre, on 01757 638666.

Updated: 10:09 Tuesday, January 14, 2003