Beano releases special edition comic in collaboration with dog charity
The Beano has just launched a brand new comic aimed at children who are visually impaired, with special help from Guide Dogs.
Featuring long time characters Dennis and Gnasher, the comic, which is available in print and audio formats, stars seven-year-old Alex McQueen and his buddy dog Chance. Having had his dog since he was five years old, and not being able to see certain colours and sharpness following an illness as a baby, Alex and his trusty guide are the main characters in a storyline that sees Bash Street Kid Erbert visit the Guide Dogs National Centre following a sight loss diagnosis. The special edition of the comic publication seeks to raise awareness of sight loss and visual impairment amongst children, as well as open up discussions regarding this disability.
To create the story, Beano teamed up with the charity Guide Dogs, which has run the Buddy Dog service since 2012. Unlike standard guide dogs, buddy dogs are specifically assigned to children and young people. With 1400 families being affected by a child with sight loss, and just over 4/5 of adults reporting that they were bullied for their disability, the comic storyline seeks to raise awareness of these issues and help sighted people learn about and understand what life is like for the visually impaired.
Alex’s mother, Lindsey McQueen, described her son as ‘excited’ to appear in the Beano, before adding that the opportunity would enable him ‘to show off Chase to the world.’
A dog owner since the early 80s, after convincing his parents to buy a Yorkshire terrier named Sadie, Darren created Dream Dogs so dog owners could find the best dog related information on the Internet.
