Chorley's community fundraises another £10k for second guide dog puppy Magpie

Chorley has welcomed its second guide dog puppy Magpie.
Magpie, a six-week-old Retriever cross LabradorMagpie, a six-week-old Retriever cross Labrador
Magpie, a six-week-old Retriever cross Labrador

Guide Dogs charity has announced the arrival of Magpie after the town’s residents raised £10,000 to name her.

The arrival of Chorley’s newest life-changer comes just weeks after Chorley’s double British Comedy Award winner, Dave Spikey, visited Atherton Training School in Wigan to announce the name and to meet Chorley’s first sponsored puppy Astley.

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Magpie was the overwhelming choice of name by Chorley residents, naming her after Chorley football club.

Director of Chorley FC Jeremy Lee said: “We are very proud that one of the new guide dogs has been called Magpie.

“There is a strong football community in Chorley backing the local club and we look forward to welcoming Magpie to Victory Park in the coming months.”

Magpie will now join a puppy walker for 12 months before she joins big school at Atherton Training School.

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She will also be coming for a visit to Chorley to meet her sponsors in the coming months.

Meanwhile nineteen month old Astley has embarked on a life-changing career.

Following five months of hard work and training with charity Guide Dogs, Astley went on to work as an assistance dog in May after meeting his sponsors for one final time.

The community in Chorley raised over £10,000 to name Astley and have been following his progress throughout his training.

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At his graduation ceremony Astley performed some of the skills and techniques that he has been perfecting through expert training since late last year.

Magpie will follow in Astley’s paw-steps by joining a guide dog puppy walker before leaving to attend Guide Dog Training School.

When Magpie’s name was announced Dave said: “It is such a privilege to be associated with this wonderful 
community project and to meet the team behind it, the fundraisers, the trainers, the dogs.

“What an amazing job they do and what a fantastic effort from the people of Chorley who not only funded the training of Astley our first community puppy but carried on giving so much that we are now announcing our second puppy Magpie.

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“This great effort from the town will not only bring independence to two blind or partially sighted people but also the companionship, love and loyalty of their new dog. It is no exaggeration to say that all those involved have contributed in changing someone’s life for the better.”

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