Ewen has been a volunteer Fosterer for Canine Partners for six years, currently looking after his 47^th foster dog from the Advanced Training programme. He is also a Volunteer Speaker, Foster Coordinator and Driver. This is his story.

I am a volunteer Fosterer for Canine Partners, taking in a dog for 17 consecutive weeks or short term while they are in the Advanced Training programme at the charity’s Southern Training Centre. The dogs live on site from 9am on a Monday morning until 4pm on a Friday afternoon, and then they have chill time at the weekend where they relax and recharge their batteries at a Fosterer’s house.

Our current lodger, Paz, is the 47^th Canine Partners guest to stay with us. Some are short stay and usually get a spell of cat familiarisation with our two feline hosts, Jazz and Jango, while Paz is the 19^th regular visitor who is staying with us for 17 consecutive weekends throughout the Advanced Training course.  At the time of this being written (May 2020), Paz is a full time member of our household due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as restrictions remain in force.

I volunteer as the Foster Coordinator at the Southern Training Centre, which encompasses both the Advanced Training and Aftercare Teams together with handling all website enquiries from people who want to become a Fosterer. I look after a combined network of 80 homes, 60 of which provide weekend fostering and 20 homes providing 24/7 long term or rehab foster support. In support of my Foster Coordinator voluntary role, I am also a Volunteer Driver.  I conduct new fosterer home checks, transfer dogs in and out of foster on behalf of the Aftercare Team, and occasionally carry out rehoming checks for a withdrawn or retired canine partner.

Since November 2014 I have also been a Volunteer Speaker, which includes speaking about the charity at local groups such as schools and youth groups, Women’s Institutes, Lunch clubs and everything in-between! Along with the rest of the Volunteer Speaker Network, our role is to help educate young people and adults about disability and how assistance dogs from Canine Partners can a help.

Canine Partners is a great charity that makes a real difference to people’s lives. I looked for a voluntary role as I wanted to give something back when I finished my career with the Royal Navy. My job entailed a lot of time at sea and away from home and my family, meaning having a dog had not been possible although I had grown up with one and have always been a dog fan. Canine Partners is local to me as I live on the coast by Chichester, West Sussex, so it brought everything together very neatly.

Being a military logistician and HR specialist in my professional life means I have skills in organising and dealing with people. I like chatting and meeting new people – both the Foster Coordinator and Speaker roles offer loads of opportunities to do that whilst actively promoting the charity.

Canine Partners has a good combination of freedom of action and helpful support – I take on any of the people and admin aspects of fostering, which means the Advanced Training and Aftercare Teams can focus on the dogs and partners. The charity is a friendly and inclusive community with the staff and volunteers. There is a wealth of different volunteering opportunities that can take up as little or as much time as you are happy to give. You have the satisfaction of knowing you are helping to make a tangible difference to people’s quality of life – and of course there is always an underlying forest of waggy tails to sweeten the deal!