Rewards-led training regime behind long waits for UK guide dogs, says campaigner

Golden Retriever-German Shepherd mix puppies, at a health check-up at the Guide Dogs national centre in Leamington Spa in 2022. Photograph: David Parry/PA

Blind people are waiting more than a year for guide dogs due to misjudged animal-welfare rules, according to a former Guide Dogs UK employee.

The number of guide dog owners in the UK has declined from more than 5,000 in 2017 to 3,695 in 2022, despite demand remaining stable, according to an open letter written to the heads of Guide Dogs UK.