Learn more about our Canine Partnerships

At Canine Partners, we are determined to make life better for people with physical disabilities, most of whom use wheelchairs. Our Partners have a variety of different conditions, some of which have been experienced since birth and others have been acquired during their lifetime. Every Partner has a different story to tell, has different levels of ability, different needs, different things that are preventing them from getting the most out of life - different hobbies and routines. We tailor-make each dog for each individual, to make the maximum impact, which is why the 'matching' process is so important. Every Partnership is special in its own way.

Please fill in or print off the Application Form for a Canine Partner here.. or call our Partnership & Aftercare Department on 01730 716 043.

Read about some of our Partnerships below - just click on their image or the Partners name above the introduction to see their full story.

Anna & Canine Partner "Angie"..

How one canine partner has helped both father and daughter.

When canine partner Angie came into Paul Chandler’s life, his daughter Anna admits she was a little jealous. Both of them have Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a brittle bone disease that means their bones can break when simply coughing or sneezing.

Sally & Canine Partner "Harmony"

Ben Nevis in a Boma – 29 August 2010

Sally will be attempting the Ben Nevis Challenge on 29 August almost entirely unaided, thanks to a Boma wheelchair kindly donated by Molten Rock. Please help Sally achieve her goal by visiting her JustGiving page: http://www.justgiving.com/Sally-Hyder

“Life as I knew it stopped in 1990 with the diagnosis of MS and I ended up using a wheelchair. My family became my carers - dressing me, doing the washing and shopping. Life was one long battle..." Read more by clicking on the picture or my name above!

Andrew & Canine Partner "Emily"

I am 39 years old and live with my partner Jo and our daughter Lily. In October 2001 I broke my neck in a motorbike accident whilst living in Singapore running my own gym.

I first heard about Canine Partners when I met a partnership in the spinal unit in Salisbury Hospital, where I was treated after my accident.

I have worked hard since my accident to rebuild my life and went back to university to retrain as a teacher after leaving hospital. I have now been back at work for three years, met Jo and settled down. My life before Emily was good, and she makes it even better.

Canine Partner "Nemo" and James

James completed his three-year degree in Broadcasting at University College Falmouth in Cornwall in 2008. He has Cerebral Palsy which affects his motor skills in the arms and legs meaning that he uses an electric wheelchair.

"Before Nemo came along, I was finding it hard to socialise with people my own age. People saw my ‘disability’ rather than ‘me’ and found it hard to approach me. Now with Nemo by my side, it is much easier to get into conversation and my social life and confidence levels are improving. Walking him has got me used to driving over rough terrain without being nervous about tipping over."

Canine Partner "Zack" and David Filmer

"Zack has made so much difference to my life, it’s hard to know where to begin. For many years now I suffered from depression due to the implications of being a disabled person in a world that cherishes perfection, and the loneliness and isolation this creates.

I’d go out less and less and consequently my social circle dwindled and I felt even worse. While I am physically fairly independent I still found there were plenty of things I couldn’t do for myself around the home, for which I needed to ask for assistance from neighbours and friends. This grated and felt like an imposition on them, so I often waited ages before asking or simply had to find alternatives or go without."

Canine Partner "Zara" with Kate

For Kate Dowding, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what she can do with her Canine Partner Zara by her side.

Kate Dowding, from Christchurch, Dorset, has been with her Canine Partner, Zara. since December 2006. During that time, the Labrador has lifted her spirits and given her a lot of independence that she never thought she’d ever have.

Kate suffers from Systemic Still’s disease, a form of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), as well as osteoporosis (soft bones) and scoliosis (curved spine). She has limited use of her arms and legs and since the age of seven, has been virtually confined to a wheelchair. Despite this, she has always attended her local schools and gone through mainstream education, and while her condition stopped her from taking part in PE, it never prevented her from excelling in her studies.

Cheryl Smith & Canine Partner "Orca"

“We seem to be able to read each others minds”
Cheryl completed a degree in Chemistry and is accompanied wherever she goes by golden retriever Orca. The two had only been partnered together for 2 months when Orca became a canine hero by rescuing Cheryl from a life-threatening situation.

The two had been enjoying an afternoon out near her home in York when Cheryl’s wheelchair hit a brick and fell 20 feet down an embankment. Cheryl was trapped in the water filled ditch under the weight of the chair unable to move.

She gave Orca the ‘Get help’ command and he ran to find someone to help. The first person Orca met thought the dog was lost and took hold of his collar to take him home. Against his training, Orca pulled free and returned to check on Cheryl before running off to find someone else. He found a jogger and, again against his training, he jumped up at the man and barked until the man realised Orca wanted him to follow him. The jogger did so and when he found Cheryl, immediately called the rescue services.

Eileen & Canine Partners Assistance Dog "Sailor"

Having Sailor in my life has made me less reliant on carers and helped me to feel more independent. He has also helped me with my physio. One day I decided I was going to groom him. Using a hoist, I managed to lower myself on the floor and do just that. It was the first time I’d been on the floor for 22 years. I learned ways to wiggle myself around so I could do his whole body. It was excellent exercise for me.

Kate & Canine Partner "Byron"

Before having Byron I hadn’t had the confidence to go into town on my own in my power chair alone for a few years. This was the result of me being used as football target practise by a group of abusive teenagers whilst I walked into town.

My parents who are in their 80’s went to the local shops for me and visited the weekly market and did my banking business. Now I have Byron we walk into town twice a week and I do the shopping and banking for my parents.

The best bit of all was when Byron jumped up to activate the switch to open the door to the building society. A group of teenagers stood watching in the street open mouthed. They waited until we came out of the building society then came over and asked me lots of questions and proceeded to tell me how cool we were.

Stephanie & Dual Assistance Dog "Vegas"

Young and registered blind, electric-wheelchair user Stephanie Read has had her life completely transformed by the UK’s first ever dual-purpose Guide Dog and Canine Partner. Stephanie from Devon, was a prisoner in her own home, lacking confidence and isolated from the outside world until the arrival of Vegas – a five-year-old black Labrador. Stephanie has Macular Hyperplasia, meaning she only has a very small amount of vision. She also has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects her joints and organs; she has been a wheelchair user for the past 10 years. Requiring help to get dressed and carry out the most basic domestic tasks – from answering the phone to picking up a book or newspaper – Stephanie has previously relied almost entirely upon a carer, sometimes waiting many hours for assistance to arrive.

Susi and Canine Partner "Lex"

"I truly don’t know what I would do without Lex, he is everything to me and I am so glad that I got a chance to have a Canine Partner.” Susi Rogers-Hartley was an outgoing socialite who lived for her sport, before sustaining an incomplete spinal injury whilst in the Royal Navy. She was left unable to walk and wheelchair bound, as well as being discharged from service. “It was a very dark time for me,” comments Susi. “I was in a lot of pain, I was confused and didn’t really have any support. I became a recluse, never wanting to go out and I lost all my confidence.”

For more information about our Partners and the work we do, download one of our newsletters or leaflets.

Canine Partners for Independence. Registered in England No. 2516146. Charity Commission Registered No. 803680. Scottish Registered Charity No. SCO39050