Bid for a date with Rachel Hunter to help guide dogs

Photo / Sarah Ivey

A date with All Black captain Richie McCaw or former supermodel Rachel Hunter is up for grabs in an online auction raising money for guide dogs in Christchurch.

Many of the dogs need to be retrained after last month's earthquake, which damaged familiar walking routes.

Guide dog user Blair McConnell's dog Kiwi led him out of his Hereford Street office building after the 6.3 magnitude quake struck.

There were 40 Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) guide dog teams based in Christchurch and all made it through the deadly tremor, although some dogs were suffering from stress and would need to retire.

Items up for auction were a date with McCaw or Hunter and private training sessions with All White Aaron Clapham. The auction has raised over $100,000 so far.

"New Zealanders have already lived up to their long-standing reputation for generosity, with ongoing support for the people of Christchurch. However, we also need help to sustain this over and above our essential services throughout the country," RNZFB chief executive Sandra Budd said.

The Every Dog Has its Day online auction will run until March 17 and was being run through the website sella.co.nz.

- NZPA