‘Best of friends’ Raunds guide dog and DPD delivery robot forge an unlikely friendship after frosty first meeting

A guide dog from Raunds has made friends with a DPD delivery robot that spooked her when out walking with her owner, thanks to a little help from the local DPD depot team.

Six-year-old labrador Amelia was guiding owner David Holmes when she spied Levi, the local DPD delivery robot coming towards them.

David said: “We were just waiting to cross a road when Amelia started to behave oddly and barking. I could hear a noise behind me like a buggy, but it was only when I got home and my wife Eileen asked if I had seen the delivery robot, that I worked out what had happened.

"It was the first time Amelia had seen one and obviously didn’t know what to make of it.”

Her hesitation became curiosity, and after David posted about the experience on Facebook, a staff member at the DPD depot saw it and offered to help. Raunds depot general manager Gareth Chisholm then contacted David and invited Amelia down to the depot to help get the two better acquainted.

Gareth said: “I think it is fair to say, their first meeting wasn’t love at first sight.

"Amelia is such a lovely, gentle dog, so after talking to David and understanding more about how they work together, we set up a getting-to-know-you session at the depot.

"After a number of familiarisation exercises we were able to simulate the different situations in which Amelia might meet the robot. There were a good few treats involved, but before too long, they were walking side by side like the best of friends.”

Based at DPD’s depot at Warth Park on the western edge of Raunds, the robots deliver to nearby residential areas within a mile of the depot via the existing network of footpaths, which is where the chance meeting took place.

David added: “I’m really grateful to Gareth and the team for their response. The original Facebook post was just something light-hearted to share. But it is great that they got in touch and invited us to the depot.

"She is an amazing dog, and she is trained to deal with so many different situations, but there is always something new.”