Family of ‘legend’ guide dog dad who died aim for ‘dynasty of guide dogs’ after sperm frozen to produce more pups

A family whose “stunning” dog sired eight litters of puppies for the charity Guide Dogs and was put to sleep by the river near to where he was raised now hopes to create “a family dynasty” of guide dogs after his sperm was frozen to posthumously produce more puppies.

Mandy Cunningham, 57, has been working as a Guide Dogs trainer for three decades, and she used to bring training dogs home, which her children Gaby Scanlan, 27, and Zak, 26, “loved” when they were growing up.

However, the Warwick resident soon realised she wanted a more permanent pet in the house, and this led to her applying to Guide Dogs in the early 2000s.

“The children loved having the dogs around and, obviously, there was great excitement when I’d bring a new one home; they’d understandably get quite attached to them,” Mandy told PA Real Life.

“It was a wrench each time one would leave, so I thought, ‘I think we need more of a permanent dog in the home’ – and then Zip came into our life”.

Zip, a “handsome” German shepherd, was welcomed into the family in 2005 – and as well as being “stunning to look at”, Mandy said he was a “loyal, confident, and intelligent dog who was lovely in nature”.

Zip sired eight litters of puppies for Guide Dogs during his lifetime, but at the age of 12, three years after retiring, he was put to sleep – which was heartbreaking for the family.

He was given a special send-off and put down by the river that runs alongside the Guide Dogs training centre in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, where Mandy works.

But unusually, some of Zip’s sperm was frozen before he died, meaning Guide Dogs could reintroduce his line later on – and after two of his puppies were born, Gaby decided to apply to hold his son, Baxter.

Baxter is now thriving at home with Gaby and continuing “Zip’s legacy”, and the family hopes to one day take on one of Baxter’s sons to create “a family dynasty of guide dogs”.

“Zip had such a presence about him; people even now still talk about him,” Mandy said.

“Everybody knew him and loved him, he’s such a memorable dog, and that’s why this is so special to us.

“After he died, we thought that was the end of his legacy, but having his son Baxter in the family is amazing.”

Growing up with Zip from the age of 10, Gaby, a project manager, loved having him around and would fall asleep in his bed.

She said he loved soft toys and cuddles and had a distinctively “huge head”, which Baxter also has.

Every year Zip would go off for breeding, and he sired eight litters of puppies in his lifetime, some of whom went on to become guide dogs in training for visually impaired and blind people.

He was known as “a legend” in Guide Dogs circles, making the family “very proud”.

However, at the age of 12, three years after retiring, Zip had to be put down due to poor health – and this left Mandy and Gaby devastated.

Gaby said it was like “losing a member of the family”, and given none of Zip’s sons had been retained for breeding, they believed this was the end of Zip’s legacy.

“He was struggling, so we knew the day was coming,” Mandy said.

“It was a beautiful day and we arranged for the vet that he knew, who he was comfortable with, to peacefully put him to rest by the river that runs alongside the Guide Dogs centre in Leamington Spa.

“It was just the look on his face one day and I thought to myself, ‘It’s time, you’re being selfish if you carry on with him’.

“It’s one of the hardest decisions you make in your life with a dog, but if you’re going to do it, the way we did it was lovely.”

Zip’s passing “left a huge hole” in their lives, and although Mandy continued to bring training dogs home, she said “it’s not the same as having your own dog”.

Many years passed, with Zip’s presence being hugely missed, but given he had such “strong DNA”, Guide Dogs attempted to reintroduce Zip’s line six years after his death.

Some of his sperm had been frozen before he passed away, and this was used posthumously to produce more puppies, specifically “prospective breeders”.

It is fairly rare for Guide Dogs to use artificial insemination as they prefer to go for the more natural approach.

Gaby and Mandy did not want to get their hopes up, but if everything was successful, they hoped to one day apply to have one of the puppies.

“Not all dogs are destined to be breeding stock, even though they’re prospective breeders,” Mandy explained.

“They have to be 100% perfect in their health and temperament to become a breeding dog, so there was always this anticipation and fear. It was a rollercoaster journey.”

Mandy wanted to take on one of Zip’s two surviving puppies, but she was unable to because her rescue dog, a Belgian Malinois called Scar, was “a little reactive with other dogs” at the time.

Gaby therefore decided to apply to have Baxter herself, and Mandy said she was “delighted” because it “kept it in the family”.

“A couple of people had applied for him, so it wasn’t guaranteed that I would be chosen,” Gaby said.

“It’s quite a complex process and probably took around two or three months, so when I found out I could take Baxter home, I was very excited.”

Mandy added: “When I first saw him, there might have been a few tears.

“It was emotional because he is so like his dad in temperament and to look at, and it wasn’t a given that Gaby would have him just because I work for Guide Dogs and he’s Zip’s son.

“It was really exciting and emotional and lovely.”

Gaby, who also has a Pomeranian called Nika, has been looking after Baxter ever since he joined the family in September 2022, continuing Zip’s legacy and the family legacy of caring for Guide Dogs sires.

She said Baxter “absolutely loves” her and her husband Stu, 33, a chef, and he even attended their wedding on September 2 in Warwick, where he wore a bow tie.

“He was the best behaved guest there, we were so proud of him and he was just incredible,” Mandy said.

“It made the day all the more special having him there.”

Baxter is going to be two in June and is set to have his first mating soon, which Gaby is excited for.

Mandy’s dream is that if he produces any suitable male puppies for breeding, her son Zak will apply for one so that they can create a family dynasty of guide dogs.

“I’m hoping once he has had some litters to be able to train one or more of them,” Mandy said.

“It would be wonderful for Zak to have one of Baxter’s sons to continue Zip’s legacy and create a family dynasty of guide dogs.”

She added: “Working with Guide Dogs is so rewarding and you feel like you’re a part of something quite incredible – creating partnerships and helping people become independent.

“Anyone with sight loss deserves to have a life that they choose.

“And from a breeding perspective, it’s amazing to hear that one of your dog’s sons or daughters has gone on to create one of these partnerships – it’s a really proud moment.”

To find out more about volunteering opportunities for Guide Dogs, visit: guidedogs.org.uk/volunteer