Earlier this year, canine partner Beryl celebrated her 10th birthday. To mark the occasion, her partner Tracy planned something special – a reunion party for Beryl and her littermates.

Born in 2015, the litter of eight was split evenly, with Beryl, Bella, Brody and Betty going on to become canine partners and Bubbles, Rick, Blossom and Banjo joining Guide Dogs. Each one has gone on to make a remarkable difference in someone’s life.

Tracy first connected with Hazel through a chance online meeting, discovering that their dogs were siblings. Inspired by this, they teamed up and with support from both Canine Partners and Guide Dogs, tracked down the rest of the litter.

After 18 months of careful planning, the reunion finally took place – with dogs, partners, volunteers and staff travelling from across the UK to attend the celebration at our National Training Centre. For many attendees it was their first time meeting in person, despite having connected online through a “doggy siblings” Facebook group.

Of the eight littermates, Beryl, Bubbles, Bella, Brodie and Rick attended the reunion. Blossom, who had sadly passed away, was represented by her Puppy Raiser, who brought along a special teddy in her memory. Although Betty and Banjo were not able there, they were fondly remembered throughout the day. May and Martha, half-sisters from an earlier litter, also joined the celebration.

“It was a wonderful day and amazing to see them all together,” says Tracy. “So many people travelled across the country to be there – a real testament to how important these dogs are in all our lives.

“To the dogs, it was just another day – but for most of us, it was quite emotional. They’ve have changed our lives, and this reunion was our chance to say thank you and celebrate everything they’ve given us.”