Canine Partners celebrates 25 years of transforming lives at Scottish reunion
Around 50 people attended a Scottish reunion day to celebrate 25 years of transforming lives at Canine Partners, an assistance dog charity which transforms the lives of people with disabilities.
Volunteers, puppy parents, partners with disabilities and their assistance dogs and staff gathered at the Perthshire home of trustee Lady Suzetta Rankin to acknowledge the success of the Scottish branch of the UK-wide charity.
Canine Partners, which has puppy training groups in Stirling and Paisley, trains dogs to perform tasks such as opening and closing doors, undressing, pressing buttons, retrieving items, unloading washing machines, taking card and cash from ATMs and other everyday tasks that disabled people find difficult, painful or impossible to do for themselves.
Dale Gormley, Regional Fundraiser in Scotland, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved with Canine Partners in Scotland to meet, chat, relax and get to know each other in the Charity’s 25th anniversary year.
“It was a lovely sunny day and everyone had a lovely time, both two and four legged friends!”
The Charity, which relies on donations to fund the creation of its life-transforming partnerships, was formed in 1990 and has to date partnered more than 560 assistance dogs across the UK. These amazing dogs have currently changed the lives of 20 people in Scotland: restoring independence, giving family members peace of mind, allowing their disabled partners to return to work and even saving lives by responding in emergencies.
Kitty Wallace, who has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and lives in Fife with her canine partner Emma, said: “I can drop my hairbrush as many times in a row as I like, she doesn’t get irate or fed up picking it up repeatedly just because I’m stubborn and want to do my own hair, it’s a game and the tail wags continuously. If I drop the keys at the car or the front door she doesn’t mind she will pick them up and wait till I take them from her, so no more standing around hoping a passer-by will be kind enough to help, or standing shivering at my own front door in the rain. I don’t have to risk dislocating my fingers opening and closing the heavy double glazed front and back door anymore, Emma opens them and closes them and is so proud of herself when she gets it first time.”
People with disabilities as diverse as MS, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, ME, spina bifida and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome benefit from the assistance and support of these dogs. In addition, through the Charity’s connection with Help For Heroes, there are canine partners helping former service personnel not only with their injuries but also to overcome the debilitating effect of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
To find out more about the fundraising, volunteering or raising awareness of Canine Partners in Scotland, please contact Dale on 0845 481 1915 or email daleg@caninepartners.org.uk.