Dogs for Good


People are becoming increasingly aware of the many ways in which dogs can support humans. District Chairman Pamela Griffiths of District 6 and District Chairman Liz White of District 127 have both decided to support this smaller canine charity which was established in 1988 in Banbury, Oxfordshire; it also has centres in Bristol and Culcheth, Warrington. Clubs in other districts are also providing much needed funds. Dogs for Good provides three services


Assistance Dog: training assistance dogs to support adults and children with physical disabilities and children with autism;


Family Dog: providing advice and support to people on how their pet dog can benefit their whole family;


Community Dog: training activity and therapy dogs and their specialist handlers to work in communities and schools.


Dogs for Good puppies spend the first year of their lives with a volunteer, who teaches them the basics such as walking on the lead and commands for sit, stay and recall. At around 14 months old, they start work with Dogs for Good trainers and instructors learning the vital skills they need such as picking up dropped items, getting the phone, loading and unloading the washing machine, calling lifts and helping someone dress and undress. At about two years old they are ready to become fully qualified assistance dogs. Dogs for Good has trained over 750 Assistance Dogs to date and has more than 300 working in England and Wales. There are 187 Assistance Dogs working in partnership with adults with disability, 69 working with children with a disability and 57 working with a family with a child with autism.


Dogs for Good’s PAWS Family Dog service runs workshops across the UK and demonstrates to families affected by autism the positive impact a pet dog can have on family life. So far more than 750 families nationwide are seeing extraordinary results and waiting lists for workshops are very oversubscribed. When an autistic child has an episode, his (or her) natural reaction is to RUN and keep running! Imagine how calming it must be if your dog, which you have learned to love, comes and puts his head on your knee! A dog harness has been devised with a handle and a lead to stop a child from bolting away! One example was of the parents of a little boy called Harry. They were really distraught, until they were given a trained dog called Barnaby. Mum smiled and said, “Our lives are so much better now. Our world isn’t all about Harry. It’s all about Barnaby!”


Dogs for Good launched its Dementia Dogs pilot in 2013 with the first assistance dogs in the UK helping couples with one partner affected by early stage dementia. The scheme is currently being evaluated by the University of Edinburgh and economic and social research consultancy EKOS.


Community Dogs for Schools has placed specially trained dogs in two Special Educational Needs schools. Using Animal Assisted Intervention techniques, this service is exploring how a dog, working with the School Dog Instructor, teachers and therapists, could bring benefits to students in their learning, social, physical and emotional development.


Dogs for Good has become the first charity to support adults with autism. Our Instructor works with a trained activity dog


alongside four people supported by the Kingwood Trust. The charity hopes to expand this service in other centres across the country. It costs £12,000 to fund each dog to become a fully- trained Assistance or Community Dog and a further £8,000 to cover the costs of its working life from qualification to retirement. It is staggering to think that an estimated 100,000 people in the UK could benefit from having an assistance dog.


At District 6 Rally, Ann Hanson represented Dogs for Good. Ann had a brain haemorrhage 16 years ago which left her unable to walk; she believed that given time she would make a full recovery, but sadly that was not to be. She has had great support from the charity and eventually was allocated a dog, Basil. Ann now has a new dog, Twickers, who is still in training and he will later go to a new owner.


With thanks to Liz White - District Chairman District 127 and Daphne Fowler – District 6


The Gift of Roses


On a bright October afternoon Inner Wheel Association President Liz Thomas visited the Inner Wheel Forever roses donated to the gardens at Lake Meadows Park, Billericay. President Liz wished to see how the roses were progressing and the pleasure they were giving to those passing by. Liz was accompanied by Celia Clark, District 24 Chairman, Jane Brown, Past District Chairman and the President and members of the Inner Wheel Club of Billericay.


In March, fifteen Inner Wheel Forever roses were donated to the gardens and were passed into the care of The Friends of Lake Meadows. Inner Wheel members across District 24 sponsored the roses, often in memory of past members, family and friends in the hope that their gifts will bring pleasure to passers-by whilst reminding them of the voluntary work undertaken by the members of the 93-year-old Service Organisation. What a lovely idea!


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Innerwheel


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