Meet Yukiko: Guide dog from Japan starts new life supporting owner in Stourport
A dog who’s travelled over 5,000 miles from Japan to the UK has qualified as a working guide dog, and is now supporting her new owner, who lives in Stourport-on-Severn.
Two-year-old Labrador Yukiko moved to start her training with sight loss charity Guide Dogs UK in 2022.
She lived with a volunteer Puppy Raiser, also based in Worcestershire, for around a year, before starting her formal guide dog training, at the charity’s Midlands Regional Centre, in Leamington Spa.
She qualified as a working guide dog in September, with her owner, Zena Meacham, from Stourport-on-Severn.
Zena said: “I was born with Retinoblastoma and I’m totally blind.
“Yukiko is my third guide dog and she’s no different from my last two dogs – you wouldn’t be able to tell that she’s travelled from Japan.
“Now that I’ve got Yukiko, or Kiko as we call her, I’m able to get the bus into Stourport, without having to rely on friends or my husband to take me.
“I can go to my friends’ houses for coffee, rather than them always having to travel to me - Yukiko enjoys visiting people.
“She is really stepping up to the mark and giving me my independence back.”
Yukiko was one of four pups to leave Japan Guide Dog Association in 2022 to move to the UK, as part of Guide Dogs’ international collaboration programme.
Her sister Yuko has become a Guide Dog Mum, joining the charity’s breeding programme.
Tom Lewis, Breeding and Genetics Lead at Guide Dogs, said: “Exchanging dogs with partner guide dog schools in other countries is an important way to help preserve genetic diversity in our breeding programme and, when we do exchange dogs, their health and wellbeing is paramount.
“We were delighted to welcome four puppies from Japan as part of our long-standing collaboration with Japan Guide Dog Association back in 2022.
“It’s fantastic that Yukiko has now qualified as a working guide dog and that her sister, Yuko, has been accepted onto our breeding programme.
“We wish Yukiko and Zena the best of luck with their partnership.”
The two remaining dogs who travelled from Japan have also found happy homes, one as a working guide dog and one with a rehomer, having been withdrawn from training.
To find out more about volunteering for Guide Dogs, visit volattractcentral@guidedogs.org.uk or call 0345 143 0191.
