August 2004:
Canine Partners ‘Cleans Up’ with Drontal Donation
Bayer Animal Health - makers of the market leading wormer Drontal - is supporting leading pet charity Canine Partners, by providing four dog waste bins and 1,000 poop bags for its dog training centre in Midhurst.
The waste bins, which are situated around the different paddock exercise areas at the centre, aim to encourage responsible pet ownership amongst visitors to the charity as well as keeping the centre itself clean. The bags are being used by both the centre and the volunteer foster families who help train and home the puppies in the first year of their lives.
Canine Partners is a national charity based in West Sussex. The training centre specialises in teaching dogs the skills needed to assist people living with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, MS and spinal injuries. A Canine Partner can make their lives easier – responding to around one hundred commands such as opening and shutting doors, emptying the washing machine, retrieving important items, assisting with supermarket shopping and stabilising during wheelchair transfers – which in turn gives those living with disability much greater independence.
In addition, the dogs can carry out a range of emergency response procedures and provide ongoing physiological, psychological and social benefits that help keep people healthy and happy.
Drontal Product Manager, Sabrina Stroud said: “We fully support the extensive work undertaken by Canine Partners to train these amazing dogs and help transform the lives of disabled people. However, there is a wider message - that the wellbeing and happiness of pets and their owners depends on good training and good healthcare. Being a responsible pet owner is not only about clearing up an animal’s waste but making sure dogs are wormed at least every three months.”
Karen O' Donoghue, Canine Partners Corporate and Trust Manager, added: “Bayer has been a great support and providing us with this donation helps build the relationship between them and our charity. Responsible pet ownership is a key message as our aim is to provide healthy highly trained assistance dogs, to people living with disabilities, enabling them to enjoy an enhanced lifestyle.”
Bayer Animal Health aims to further develop its relationship with Canine Partners and its Drontal brand in the New Year.
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October 2005
Project Synergy - Canine Partners in partnership with The Home Office and HM Ford Open Prison
Officially launched in 1992, Canine Partners enables disabled people to enjoy greater independence and a better quality of life through the help of specially trained dogs.
Training assistance dogs to transform the lives of people with disabilities enriches human life in practical ways such as dressing and picking up dropped items, supermarket shopping and vital emergency response procedures. In addition it provides physiological, psychological and social benefits that help keep people healthy and happy.
As a registered charity, Canine Partners receives no government funding and is wholly dependant on public donations and legacies.
Project Synergy
The initial concept for Project SYNERGY, was to commence educating suitable prison candidates, in the skills of dog training, thereby taking advantage of the therapeutic aspects of working with animals, in a constructive and harmonious environment, while ensuring overall supervision and in preparation for a return to the Community.
Chief Executive, Terry Knott, is pleased to report that, “from the Charity’s point of view, the project, which commenced in Oct 2004, has been an unqualified success and we understand informally, that it has out-performed a number of other community projects with HMP Ford. If we can educate people to train assistance dogs and help inmates of our prisons to rehabilitate themselves at the same time, then that’s a tremendous bonus for all”.
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March 2005
Petersfield based breeder gets charity accolade
Canine Partners Awards Local Breeder's with Gift of Independence
Canine Partners, the Charity specialising in providing highly trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities, has announced the recipient of its “Gift of Independence Award 2005”.
Petersfield based Craig Skidmore, who breeds Kennel Club registered Golden Retrievers has provided Canine Partners with five puppies since May 2001, four of which have graduated and one of which is in puppy training. However, Craig has taken his work a step further by also fundraising for the charity in the local area.
Craig has been raising funds and awareness for Canine Partners through ‘Secretts' Garden Centre in Godalming for some time and has also been travelling around the local shopping districts since Easter 2004 with his small animal farm ‘Kidsrome'. In the weeks leading to Christmas 2004, Craig grew a beard and braved all weathers to create a nativity display that raised over £7,000 for the charity.
“Breeders like Craig make the work of our charity possible by providing us with quality pups to become much needed Canine Partners of the future,” says Puppy Co-ordinator Sandra Parton. “Craig is unique to us in that he not only helps us with puppies but he has helped boost vital funds, especially over Christmas when many are thinking of family and friends and not charitable giving. This annual award gives us the chance to thank breeders in our own special way.”
The presentation was made at the Canine Partners new Training Centre in Heyshott, West Sussex in recognition of Craig's generosity continued support. With the growing demand for assistance dogs, Canine Partners is always seeking approved breeders like Craig who believe in the work it does and are keen to help the charity by donating puppies or selling them to us.
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February 2005 :
Canine Partners Launches Bluebell Walks 2005 Campaign
Canine Partners, a charity specialising in providing highly trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities, has today launched it's Bluebell Walks 2005 Campaign, supported by Purina PetCare. The Charity is currently looking for Walk Organisers throughout the country who want to set up an event in their area as a way to raise funds for Canine Partners, as well as establishing a fun and healthy day out for all the family.
The Bluebell Walk Campaign has grown from the overwhelming success of local walks held each year during May by loyal Canine Partners supporters. The intention is for a number of sponsored walks to take place from 23 rd April-8 th May 2005, when the bluebells are expected to be in bloom. These walks will give supporters the opportunity to get together with family, friends, work colleagues and others to take part in something fun and worthwhile with many including BBQs, raffles, lunch, refreshments etc.
“A Bluebell Walk can be for 5-100 people covering distances from 1mile to 10 miles and participants don't even have to own a dog,” comments Malcolm Wells from Canine Partners. “If there aren't any bluebells growing in your area, you can still hold a walk in your local woods or park and we will provide bluebell stickers for you to wear instead! We ask anyone interested in setting up a walk in their local area to get in touch with us for more information.”
All Walk Organisers will be sent an information pack containing details on how to make the walk a great success, as well as sponsorship forms, posters and merchandise. Canine Partners are also happy to help publicise local walks to ensure the highest level of participation.
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February 2005:
Canine Partners Selected as Charity of Choice for Pet Doctors
Leading group of clinics will support charity and sponsor a puppy in 2005
February 2005, West Sussex: Canine Partners, specialising in providing disabled people with highly trained assistance dogs, has today announced that it has been selected as Charity of Choice by Pet Doctors. The leading group of veterinary clinics will fundraise for Canine Partners throughout 2005, as well as sponsoring ‘Yarra' - one of the puppies chosen for training this year.
Canine Partners is a progressive charity, which aims to transform the lives of people with disabilities enabling them to lead more independent lives, by providing them with highly trained assistance dogs. Their dogs assist their Partners with numerous practical tasks such as shopping and dressing; and the relationship that develops between the dog and their Partner creates tremendous emotional benefits.
Pet Doctors which has veterinary clinics in Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, and Cambridgeshire is committed to being involved in the local community as well as providing a top quality service and level of care for household pets. “We decided to support Canine Partners as our charity of choice for 2005 as we have seen firsthand the great work they do in training dogs to help a disabled person enjoy a better quality of life. Much research, in the past, has proved that the companionship of a pet can enhance a person's life giving them a great deal of comfort and enjoyment,” advised Garret Turley, veterinary surgeon and founder Director of Pet Doctors. “Choosing a national charity has appealed to the staff throughout our clinics, especially as a number of the Pet Doctors clinics have clients who are puppy parents for the charity. We hope that the publicity we are able to give Canine Partners through our clinics and fundraising events will help to raise their profile and help them to recruit more puppy parents and fund-raising volunteers,” continued Garret. “We will be following ‘Yarra' throughout her training and can't wait to see the day she makes someone very happy as their new Canine Partner.”
Terry Knott Chief Executive of Canine Partners comments, “We are delighted to be supported by such a well known and professional group of veterinary clinics. We look forward to working with Pet Doctors during 2005 to make the relationship successful for all parties involved.”
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