Exclusive: Martin Clunes reveals how he felt an ‘instant need’ to adopt guide dog Laura after she retired as the ‘eyes’ of the UK’s first blind personal trainer

• The Doc Martin star was moved after hearing a report about Laura on the radio
• READ MORE: Guide Dogs charity launches campaign against drivers parking on pavements and forcing blind and partially sighted walkers into the road

With four pet dogs already, Martin Clunes wasn’t on the look-out for another four-legged friend.

But then the actor heard about a guide dog called Laura in need of a loving home to retire to – and now the black Labrador-cross lives happily at his farm in Dorset and has become his ‘shadow’.

Clunes, 61, stepped in and called the Guide Dogs UK charity after being moved by a report about how the UK’s first blind personal trainer Jaina Mistry’s life was changed by having Laura as her ‘eyes’.

The Doc Martin star said: ‘I just felt this instant need to help support this guide dog when I heard about her on the radio – how hard it might be for an older dog to find a happy home. 

‘I especially wanted to help after hearing what amazing work Laura had done – if any dog deserved a good retirement, it was Laura.

Martin Clunes (pictured left) has opened up about the ‘instant need’ he felt to help guide dog Lucy (pictured right) after hearing a report about her work on the radio 

‘She’s completely bomb-proof, nothing fazes her, not even our massive Clydesdale horses. 

‘Laura’s like my shadow, she just wants to be with me everywhere, whatever I’m doing. 

‘I’ve had to get her a special doggy mac because no matter how hard it’s raining, if I’m going out, she does too.

‘Of course, Penny, our Jack Russell Chihuahua cross, is still leader of the pack, but they all get on brilliantly, and it’s lovely having Laura with us.’

Clunes and his TV producer wife Philippa’s other two canine chums are Bob Jackson, a Golden Cocker Spaniel, and Jim, a Jack Russell. 

Laura joined the pack after being invited for a trial sleep-over at the couple’s home with Miss Mistry.

Miss Mistry, 39, from Leicester, almost died aged 17 following a severe reaction to penicillin. The A-level student was in a coma for 10 days, then left completely blind. Ten years later she was partnered with Laura.

She said: ‘I’d been terrified of dogs, so at first, I’d rejected the idea of having a guide dog. But Laura changed everything for me.

Lucy has now retired from her role of acting as the ‘eyes’ for the UK’s first blind personal trainer, Jaina Mistry (pictured right) 

Jaina, 39, from Leicester, almost died aged 17 following a severe reaction to penicillin. The A-level student was in a coma for 10 days, then left completely blind. But ten years later she was partnered with guide dog Laura

Now, Lucy is living with Martin and his wife Phillipa in Dorset, along with his other canine chums, Bob Jackson (centre), a Golden Cocker Spaniel, and Jim (back right), a Jack Russell and Penny (front right), a Jack Russell Chihuahua cross

‘Suddenly I wasn’t alone, I was part of a team, I could go anywhere, and my confidence was sky-high.

‘Laura was by my side when I did fitness work to rebuild my strength, which led to me wanting to be a personal trainer. I didn’t care that no blind woman had ever done it before. Laura gave me that self-belief, which you can’t put a price on.

‘This single dog has broken down cultural barriers and stigma, she’s enriched so many lives in a way it’s almost impossible to quantify.

‘Laura retired in May on her 11th birthday. Keeping Laura along with a new guide dog simply isn’t possible or practical.

‘I was heartbroken when I realised we would have to part ways – it felt like losing a best friend and I didn’t know what her future would hold or whether she’d get the love and affection she deserved.

Martin said that Laura is like his shadow and she just wants to be with him everywhere, regardless of what he’s doing

For Jaina, the fact that Laura has found a loving new home in Dorset with Martin and his wife is like a dream come true 

At first, Laura travelled to Dorset for a trial sleepover in Martin’s home with his other pets  

‘So seeing her thriving with Martin and his family is a dream come true for me.’

After Laura officially became one of the Clunes clan in April, Martin and Philippa contacted the charity asking if they could make a documentary.

‘We love every shape, size and variety of animal, but the more I heard Jaina explain what Laura had done for her, what a simply massive and incredible institution Guide Dogs is, I knew I wanted to know more,’ he said.

Over several weeks last year Martin visited the charity’s headquarters in Leamington Spa, then travelled around the country meeting all the other specialists who prep the dogs to be ready for their partners.

Martin said: ‘The stats on their own are staggering. The charity can breed up to 1,500 puppies a year specifically to be Guide Dogs, each of whom are then taught the basics by a Puppy Raisers up and down the country, before going on to formal training.

After Laura officially became one of the Clunes clan in April, Martin and his wife Philippa contacted the charity asking if they could make a documentary

Over several weeks last year Martin visited the charity’s headquarters in Leamington Spa, then travelled around the country meeting all the other specialists 

In conversation about the Guide Dog charity, Martin said: ‘What a simply massive and incredible institution Guide Dogs is, I knew I wanted to know more’

During his trips, Martin learned that the charity can breed up to 1,500 puppies a year specifically to be Guide Dogs

Once born, the puppies are taught the basics by a Puppy Raisers up and down the country, before going on to formal training. The dogs then progress to guide people across the country (pictured above is a guide dog owner who features in Martin’s documentary) 

‘One trainer I met put over 500 through their paces, an incredibly long and laborious process – it was simply mind-blowing to see. And that’s before you even get into the retirement process, or the dogs who don’t pass their training and become ‘Buddy Dogs’.’

Martin also met several other beneficiaries of the Guide Dogs, including Army veteran Craig Lundberg, who was blinded in action aged just 21 while on tour in Iraq.

Craig, now 37, was hit by two rocket-propelled grenades, his injuries so significant he was placed in an induced coma while doctors tried to save his life.

When he finally woke up in hospital, Craig was given the devastating news his sight was gone.

Transferred back to the UK, then discharged from the Army, two years later Craig was partnered with guide dog Hugo, a black Labrador cross.

In the documentary, Martin met several other beneficiaries of the Guide Dogs, including Army veteran Craig Lundberg (pictured) who was blinded in action aged just 21 while on tour in Iraq

Craig, now 37, was hit by two rocket-propelled grenades, his injuries so significant he was placed in an induced coma while doctors tried to save his life

Transferred back to the UK, then discharged from the Army, two years later Craig was partnered with guide dog Hugo, a black Labrador cross (pictured)

Craig said that having a guide dog has given him the confidence to ‘go out into the world again’ and to ‘move on with my life when I thought it was over’ 

After Hugo retired in 2019, Craig qualified for his second guide dog, a black Labrador Comet (pictured) 

Craig, from Liverpool, said: ‘Hugo gave me the confidence to go out into the world again, to move on with my life when I thought it was over.’

Hugo, like Laura, was retired in 2019, when Craig qualified with his second guide dog, black Labrador Comet.

Martin, who met Craig playing blind football, said: ‘To see what Guide Dogs has done for Craig, giving him the confidence to be an amazing dad, even setting up his own business, it’s astonishing. 

‘To see this man who put his life on the line and lost his eyesight for his country now thriving, it really shows the impact these amazing dogs can have.’

A Dog Called Laura ais on ITV on Thursday (Oct 5) at 9pm.

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