The history of Guide Dogs

The Guide Dogs story started in 1931 with two amazing British pioneers, Muriel Crooke and Rosamund Bond. These remarkable women organised the training of the first four British guide dogs from a humble lock up garage in Wallasey, Merseyside.

We’ve come a very long way since those early days. Today Guide Dogs is the world's largest breeder and trainer of working dogs. And thanks to our dedicated staff and volunteers – and your vital donations – 36,000 lives have been transformed through a guide dog partnership since 1931.

The next 90 years and beyond

We may have a long and fascinating history, but our story is always evolving. Over the coming years we’re looking to increase the number of guide dog partnerships, but we’re also developing a broader range of services that will help more people who are blind and partially sighted to get out and about on their own terms.

Supporting children with vision impairment and their families is a strategic priority. In 2013 we acquired The National Blind Children’s Society as a separate charity within the Guide Dogs group, its name was then changed to Blind Children UK (BCUK). Then in 2016 we integrated BCUK within Guide Dogs taking on a commitment to supporting children. We have progressively grown our service provision to become the leading provider in services for children and young people with sight loss.

If you want to find out more about our vision for the future, read the what we do section of our website. If you think you’d like to help us achieve our goals, you’ll find plenty of options in our How you can help section.