About the trail
A trail of discovery at Canary Wharf
Our Paws on the Wharf art trail brought 25 uniquely decorated guide dog sculptures to London’s Canary Wharf for eight weeks, from 25 March to 17 May 2024.
It was a fun and family-friendly celebration of our iconic guide dogs, art, creativity and accessibility. A showcase of larger-than-life guide dog sculptures, each individually designed and decorated by a talented artist every dog had a ‘tail’ to tell! Did you sniff out the trail?
The trail has now come to an end, but our Canary Wharf canines are now looking for their 'furever' homes! You can bid to own your favourite sculpture in our online auction which is live now!
The sculptures
Raising pounds for clever hounds
Every day in the UK, 250 more people join the 2 million already living with sight loss and this number is set to double by 2050.
Guide Dogs is here to help people with sight loss live the life they choose. But we can only do this with your support.
Our incredible dogs help people get out with confidence, going wherever school, work or play takes them - and knowing that sight loss won’t hold them back. The advice and skills we provide give people the freedom to live life on their own terms, in their own way, and achieve their hopes and ambitions.
Paws on the Wharf aims to raise awareness around the challenges of living with sight loss and the critical work we do to support the adults, young people and children affected by vision impairment.
We also aim to raise vital funds that will enable us to guide individuals and families through the emotional and practical challenges of sight loss, giving them the knowledge, tools and skills they need to live their life to the full.
Want to support our life-changing work through Paws on the Wharf?
Discover Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is home to London’s largest collection of outdoor public art, with over 100 stand-alone sculptures and integrated architectural works. So, it was the ideal place to unleash our guide dog sculptures!
An iconic destination and the heart of the London business district, Canary Wharf is defined by culture, with over 300 shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, and boasting a sought-after new residential neighbourhood. There’s much to celebrate in this thriving community, for visitors, workers and residents.
What made our art trail accessible?
The overall purpose of our art trail was to raise funds to help us continue to deliver vital Guide Dogs services to support people with sight loss, and awareness of the challenges of sight loss and the life-changing work we do.
Paws on the Wharf also highlighted the importance of accessibility and inclusion. Our sculptures themselves were decorated by a diverse group of artists, several of whom have live experience of sight loss. We wanted to make the trail one of the most accessible outdoor art trails yet!
Some ways in which the trail was accessible include:
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Having an accessible website and digital marketing content to inform people about the trail and options for support when visiting.
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Using NaviLens technology to support people with sight loss experience the trail.
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We offered sighted guide and sensory tours for people who preferred support navigating the trail.
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Option to order trail information in large format or braille.
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The trail was step-free and a manageable distance.
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Many of the sculptures incorporated tactile elements.
How we used the NaviLens App to help people experience the trail
Find out more about how NaviLens accessible technology can support you.
You can still get your kids involved!
If you were not able to join our trail in Canary Wharf, you can still get your kids involved with our free kids activity pack. They can design a sculpture and do some fun activities that also help them learn about sight loss and accessibility.
Paws on the Wharf
A Guide Dogs and Wild in Art event supported by Citi and hosted by Canary Wharf Group and Canal & River Trust.
Follow the trail on Instagram @pawsonthewharf_guidedogs