Summer Appeal 2024

Family life improved overnight for the Fitzsimmons family, after the arrival of canine partner Kibble

”For 10 years Kibble has been Mum’s assistance dog, helping so much with her independence. Picking things up, dressing her, getting her in and out of bed – Kibble did it all, every single day for a decade. But after 10 amazing years, Kibble has just retired from being Mum’s amazing assistance dog, hanging up his purple jacket for the last time and becoming our beloved family pet.”

– Will, Shelley’s son

You can watch Shelley’s story below:

The wait time for a new canine partner like Kibble could be as long as 18 months. Will you support Canine Partner’s Summer Appeal today? Your donation could help shorten this wait time for families like ours, reducing the risk of injuries and the loneliness that comes with feeling stuck at home.

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”Our family feels incredibly lucky to have had Kibble in our lives. But things weren’t always so happy. Back in 2011, before Kibble, Mum rarely left the house. She has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a condition that means she’s in pain and can easily dislocate any joint in her body. Prone to falls, she was scared to go out. It was tough on all of us.

“Imagine having to leave a loved one home alone, knowing a fall could lead to serious injury.”

”If it wasn’t for a seemingly ordinary evening after school back in early 2012, we might not have even heard of Canine Partners. My sister and I were just about to turn in for the night – I was ten, and she was twelve. But then, we caught a segment about dogs on BBC’s The One Show. They mentioned Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, the same condition Mum has, and I was instantly hooked. The segment featured a Canine Partners partnership, and it sparked something in me. I said to Mum that there is a lady on the TV with a dog that looks after her. We all were shocked at what she said her dog could do. I had always wanted a dog, but this was something different. Even at that young age, I knew it could help not just Mum, but our entire family. So, I took it upon myself to send off for an application form, which arrived in the post a few days later. The rest, as they say, is history.

”Kibble completely changed Mum’s life as well as ours. She started going out by herself again, regained confidence to talk with strangers, and no longer feared injuring herself if she dropped something. Kibble was always there, a helping pair of paws. As a family, we could all relax more, which meant our grades at school improved, and Dad could feel more at ease about Mum’s well-being while at work.

”But Kibble’s retirement brought back that sense of anxiety. Just a week later, Mum fractured a rib reaching for her dropped phone. This just reminded us all how important Kibble’s support has been.”

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