“Before Honey, I couldn’t leave the house alone. Now I can, and that’s everything.”
Growing up with cerebral palsy, everyday life for Jess was both physically challenging and mentally isolating. Shaped by fatigue and mobility barriers impacting her balance, Jess’ world could feel smaller than she wanted, with a constant need to rely on other people.
Being fiercely independent, Jess found it difficult to ask for help and worried about being a burden to her family, even when she needed support with the smallest of day-to-day tasks. Above everything, Jess wanted to live independently and build meaningful relationships to feel confident in herself.
I’m quite a fiercely independent and stubborn person. I’ve had a lot of things that I wanted to do that were tricky, or that I couldn’t do. There were obvious physical challenges for me, lots of things to do with balance, mobility, fine motor skills, energy, and fatigue.
I wanted to live independently. Go out socially, be part of the community, make relationships and have a bit more confidence in myself.
A drop of Honey changed everything
As Jess’ expertly trained assistance dog and Canine Partner, Honey has broken down many of the physical barriers that once made daily life difficult.
Not only does Honey support with practical tasks, her impact has also gone far beyond what she has been trained to do.
“The impact since having Honey has just been amazing. She absolutely is so much more than a dog. There aren’t really words for it.”
With Honey by her side, Jess has found the confidence to step back into the world.
What felt out of reach is now within her grasp, and Jess’ dream to be able to live a life independently and part of her community is now taking shape.
It’s that confidence to get up and build that future, to go and grab life again and do it together as a team. That’s a big part of my relationship with Honey. It feels like we’re doing everything together.
“In 2018 I was partnered with Queenie, a 3/4 Golden Retriever 1/4 Labrador cross who first showed me what it was like to have true independence and be able to live, work and take on anything life threw at me as a formidable team!
Sadly Queenie passed away very unexpectedly in 2021 so, since having Honey, I very much see her as an extension and continuation of Queenie’s legacy.
Queenie was the dog who showed me how to expand my world and Honey is the dog who is making sure my world doesn’t have to shrink again.”
James' story
Before his accident, James lived for the outdoors. As well as studying Woodland Management and starting a career in tree surgery, his free time was spent rock climbing with friends and enjoying the countryside.
Then, during a routine job dismantling an ash tree, James’ life changed overnight.
James fell and broke his spine twice, sustained a severe head injury, two broken vertebrae, and multiple fractures.
“Life before my accident I was a 24/7 climber. It’s what I did and I absolutely loved it! I’d be outside 24/7, just living life to the full. After breaking my spine twice, I’ve got no movement at all. No abilities, no feeling.”
In the wake of the fall, James was placed on immediate life support with doctors warning his family to expect the worse.
“I had 24/7 care right from the very beginning. Everyday activities were a struggle and left me exhausted.”
James’ recovery was long and demanding. Not only did he have to relearn essential skills such as speaking again and eating and drinking, he also had to adjust to his paralysis from the chest down and the lasting impact of his injuries.
“My family didn’t give up on me, and somehow I pulled through.”
A new Dawn in James’ life
In 2012, James was matched with his first Canine Partner, Winter, a black Labrador who helped him rebuild his confidence and independence.
When Winter retired, James was partnered with Dawn in 2023, who has helped him move forward while still holding on to everything Winter gave him.
Beginning again with a second dog was emotional. I felt like I was replacing Winter, but I came to see it wasn’t about replacing her. Dawn has helped me move forward while still holding on to everything Winter gave me.
Two partnerships that became ‘the perfect quartet’
Jess and James first met while training with Honey and Dawn during Canine Partners’ Partnership Placement Course. “The girls actually brought us together,” says Jess.
They already knew each other and loved each other, and they clearly taught James and I to do the same. We ended up matched as well.
Today, Jess and James are happily living together as a four with their life-changing assistance dogs, Honey and Dawn. Each partnership is unique, but together they have created something even more special.
Honey and Dawn are very different in their personalities and skills, but they complement each other beautifully. For Jess, that also sums up her relationship with James.
“We’re quite different, but we complement each other really well. As a four, we just click. We fit together as two duos that were meant to be a quartet.”
