Canine Partners

I can’t carry anything, because my hands are occupied on the crutches (so tried a bag hanging over my shoulder, to put everything in, until I quickly realised my shoulders are too slopey to keep it in place and it kept falling off and nearly knocked me over). I’m incredibly slow, and have realised that you really must plan carefully. If you come downstairs (which is a process that seems to take forever, and hurts), and then realise you’ve left your phone upstairs, you just feel like despairing. And you are always having to ask people for help, which raises a few eyebrows and makes you cringe. Please can you pick me up and bring me to work and drop me back home afterwards? (I’m not allowed to drive for a fortnight, so thank you Sue and Andy for doing the honours today, and Ken for bringing me home). Please can you carry my cup of tea and put it over there? Please can you put my socks on for me?! I really do take my hat off to people who go through life facing these sorts of challenges on a daily basis, only magnified by a factor of 100. Apart from anything, it’s tiring, and debilitating, and quite often it hurts. The thing is though, I know I will be back on my feet in a couple of weeks – I have complete and utter respect for those people who come to us, and am determined that we will do whatever we can to help, by training these special dogs.

The good news is that there is a growing momentum of people who are equally determined to help us achieve our mission. Wilko’s in Hampshire have joined the effort – pop into their branches and thank them, if you get a chance. Foresters Friendly Society have likewise come on board, with representatives all over the UK (it was brilliant meeting you all at your Telford conference a couple of weeks ago). Pets Corner just get better and better. And as for Purina, what can I say?! We have met with all these people over the last month and are blown away by the commitment and enthusiasm of all their members. Between us we are changing people’s lives and giving greater independence.

It’s the Summer Show season at the moment, with varying amounts of sunshine. Our teams of volunteers and staff are out and about most weekends, flying the flag for Canine Partners across the UK, meeting new supporters who feel inspired to join in our overall team effort. This is brilliant, because we fully intend to achieve more and more every year, and we just can’t do it without you. Last weekend was our Summer Show in Sussex, where we were delighted to meet lots of local people, who came and entered into the spirit of things, having a go at various things like dog show classes, agility, beat the goalie (and dodge the rain showers!). We were incredibly lucky to be joined by three of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games team members, (including our very own Jon Flint, matched with canine partner Jester), who judged some of our dog show classes and also ran some Doggy Invictus Games too. Mike Goody led the team, who proudly won several gold medals in the swimming events out in Orlando. Again it makes you think – I might have had a knee op this week, but it pales into insignificance in comparison with the op that Mike had…..but look at what he’s achieved, and what he will achieve in future, inspiring disabled people through the power of sport. It was a brilliant and fun day, and with all of you turning up and participating in one way or another, we even managed to raise over £6,000, which will buy a lot of puppies!!

Next weekend it is the turn of our Midlands Centre to hold a Summer Show, so make sure you join us if you’re in the area (Leicestershire), and let’s make it another day to remember! Details are on the events page of our website. This is our relatively new base, and is quickly growing to be the same size as our Southern Centre, with the aim of serving disabled people in the Midlands and beyond. We are well on the way to completing the construction of specially adapted wheelchair-accessible accommodation on this site, so that people can come and stay with us from far and wide, while they get paired up with our dogs.

Last, but by no means least, over the last half hour while I have been tapping this out on my iPad (with my leg up, and no phone because I left it upstairs, yet again!), I see that our advanced training teams have informed us of more clients, or ‘partners’ as we call them, being matched up with dogs at both our Centres, while another person is being matched up with their dog in their own home. This is precisely what our work is all about, transforming people’s lives. Thank you so much for helping us to achieve this.

Andy