They have all taken part in painting and signing some of Guide Dogs Victoria’s famous Collection Dogs (as seen in Coles and Safeway supermarkets) for a special Painted Collection Dog Auction, to help raise funds for blind and vision impaired Victorians.

Now is your chance to be the only Collingwood supporter to own this one-off Collection Dog with team signatures and Collingwood Guernsey.

Taking place during Guide Dog Week (15 - 22 April 2007), the Painted Collection Dog Auction also involves unique works created by other well-known artists, celebrities and sporting groups including: Amanda Hart, the Australian Cricket Team, Bronwyn Bancroft, Colin Hyett, Denise Keele-Bedford, Fleur MacDonald, Jo Bertini, John Bokor, John Ryrie, Ju Yuen Merran Chew, Marise Maas, Stuart French and William Green (WEG).

Each of these sort-after, iconic dogs will be available for the general public to place bids on, when they are listed on EBay, from Sunday, 15 April to Tuesday, 22 April. The artworks can also be viewed prior to going on EBay within various QV Melbourne shopfronts, from Tuesday, 10 April to Sunday 22 April – and on Guide Dogs Victoria’s website: www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au.

The Collingwood Collection Dog stands at 1 metre tall with a base of 64cmx34cm.

For over 50 years Guide Dogs Victoria has been providing the very special form of mobility and companionship that a Guide Dog brings. It costs a lot of money to provide these services at no charge to our clients and with limited government funding we rely heavily on the generosity of the Victorian people.

While we have many ways of collecting funds, one of the most recognised is our life-size collection dogs which sit in supermarkets and other retail outlets across the country. Each year these collection dogs generate over $330,000 worth of donations in Victoria alone - a vital source of funding for our work.

For any queries, contact theresa.h@guidedogsvictoria.com.au, call 03 9845 4462 or visit www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au