Canine Partners

Judith is a prime example of how Canine Partners has evolved over the years. Back in the 90’s, when Judith first became involved as a volunteer puppy parent, the Charity was based in leased facilities in Hampshire and was only training a few dogs a year. When things are small, people get a chance to do a bit of everything, and so it was that Judith started to help out more and more with the advanced training team after attending puppy classes, until a point where our General Manager at that time, Bruce Jenkins, offered her a part-time contract as a paid member of staff with ‘responsibilities for partnering dogs with disabled people and performing other ancillary duties’.

With the arrival of the Charity’s first big project, the development of its very own purpose-built Training Centre, things changed for Judith. The new Centre was over near Midhurst, which made the commute from her Southampton home rather more lengthy than was ideal. But Canine Partners never likes to see talented people go, so came up with the idea of tasking Judith with setting up a puppy-walking programme near her home, on a trial basis. And so it was that the Southampton puppy satellite was born in 2002, piloting a new way of working, out in the regions.

By the time I joined Canine Partners in 2006, as Director of Operations, the Southampton satellite had really got established and taken off. So much so, in fact, that other satellites had followed in its footsteps – East Sussex, West Sussex and Hull were already well underway, with pups in situ under the guidance of Heather, Tessa and Maggie respectively, and Bedford was a lot more than just a twinkle in somebody’s eye as Lorraine had been recruited to set it up at about the same time as I arrived.

Of course when you first start somewhere, you appreciate any help and advice you can get, so it wasn’t long before I headed down to Southampton to pick Judith’s brains. She not only introduced me to all her fantastic puppy parents with all their pups (the sea of purple t shirts takes a bit of getting used to, when you’re new) but also took me out to visit various partnerships in her area, to whom she provided aftercare support. As I said, people get involved in everything when things are small. I clearly remember meeting Richard and canine partner Xebo on that day.

Over the years Judith has overseen the training of over a hundred puppies in her satellite, which means that there are many disabled people across the UK who have a specially trained canine partner by their side thanks to her efforts. Dogs from the older generation like Eileen’s Sailor, Claire’s Ulli and Lorna’s Eli, bless their dear departed hearts. And more recently young Tessie, who featured on the BBC programme last year, with her partner David. In addition to dealing with puppy classes, Judith has also had a hand in the breeding of puppies (if you’ll pardon the pun). She oversaw Annie and Derrick’s fostering of brood bitch Tita, and even puppy walked Dixie herself, one of Tita’s ‘children’. From the same litter was born Doyle, who has been one of the Charity’s demonstration dogs for many years. Erin, Angie and Yarna are other demo dogs/brood bitches that have fallen under Judith’s wing in the satellite.

This job is not all about dogs though – it’s about people. And the people in the Southampton satellite have been absolutely brilliant for many years (and will continue to be brilliant in years to come too, of course), thanks to Judith as their leader, instructor, best friend and all-round mother hen. People have just loved rallying round her and being part of the team. Which is why she only has to open up the village hall and a whole army of her puppy parents arrive to set out the chairs, sweep the floor, bring in the cakes which they’ve baked themselves, and put the kettle on!

Thank you Judith for everything you have done over the last 20 years. We wish you all the very best as you enter into what we hope will be a very long and a very happy retirement. You can look back with great pride at what you have achieved at Canine Partners, as a job ‘very well done!’. Now it’s time to go travelling, fulfil your dreams, and come back and get a little dog of your own that you don’t have to hand over to advanced training as soon as it’s 14 months’ old. And above all, don’t let that horse tread on you again!

From all of us at Canine Partners, happy retirement Judith!

Andy

NB: the picture featured on this page shows Judith teaching canine first aid.