Meet Jenny, from Leicestershire
Posted 4 years ago in the Volunteers and fundraisers category
What does it take for a life to transform? It starts with a puppy, adorable and warm.
Jenny has been a volunteer Puppy Parent for Canine Partners since July 2019. She is currently looking after her first puppy-in-training. This is her story:
“I am a new Puppy Parent and my first puppy came to me in November 2019. I had recently retired from work and have always wanted a dog and thought it would be very rewarding to join an assistance dog charity, such as Canine Partners.
“I have looked after friends’ dogs when they have needed it, such as holidays and dog walking, and I also had a few dogs as a child. I have also experienced how an assistance dog could have helped and made a huge impact on a severely disabled youngster that I know of. The person concerned, has various challenges both mentally and physically, but the comfort and delight in his face when a relative with a dog visited was immense and heart warming. The dog seemed to instinctively know this and stayed by his side. To know that I have helped to raise a puppy which will eventually be placed with a person in need is an amazing feeling.
“My role is to help look after a puppy from about eight weeks of age until they are 14 months old. I do this with guidance from a specialist Puppy Trainer, including Puppy Classes, one-to-ones, and training sessions in town. I teach the puppy basic training and the vital skills they need to become a future assistance dog. The end goal is to have reared a happy, well-adjusted puppy that is ready to go on to the next stage of their training at one of the two national Training Centres. They will eventually be placed with someone on the waiting list who is living with a physical disability.
“Seeing for myself the skills taught to Canine Partners’ puppies is amazing. The realisation of how dedicated the staff and the whole team are in achieving this and all of their hard work, (and the dogs of course), only fuelled my desire to make an impact to someone’s life by becoming a Puppy Parent.
“My part is only the start of an amazing journey, and every day I feel proud of this, even though I know the puppy will have to leave me, she will, I know, make such a difference to someone’s life.
“The wonderful thing is, when my puppy has successfully been placed with their partner, I can do it all over again with another amazing dog. Canine Partners are doing absolutely amazing work, and more volunteers should come forward and change someone’s life too, the rewards are outstanding.”