The Kennel Club Charitable Trust aims not only to ‘make a difference for dogs’ but to make a difference for humans too through the giving of grants to organisations which provide assistance dogs.

Black Labrador Retriever, Jade was taken on by Canine Partners in Sussex in February 2008 and, thanks to a grant of £10,000 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, she has been uniquely trained to support Samuel, a young man from Bournemouth with autism. The pair have built up their relationship since then and recently attended a Canine Partners Partnership Day at the charity’s headquarters at Heyshott, West Sussex.

When Samuel was younger he spent a lot of time with the family Labrador, Lucy and when the comfort of his everyday life was interrupted by a change of school, Samuel’s mother, Bobbie noticed that is was Lucy who helped Samuel to cope. It was this that prompted Bobbie to start researching assistance dogs and she then contacted Canine Partners.

Although Samuel’s case lay outside the charity’s normal sphere of work, they agreed to assist as a one-off case, due to the fact that Samuel’s medical references stressed the degree to which Samuel was physically disabled by his autism.

The Kennel Club Charitable Trust regularly sponsors dogs through training at Canine Partners, but this is the first time a dog has been trained to assist someone with autism.

Andy Cook, CEO at Canine Partners, and Becca Meaton, Manager of Advanced Training, undertook extensive research before embarking on the project, and are grateful to other assistance dog charities for their help.  They visited Samuel and his family in Dorset on many occasions as part of their research.

Samuel’s world is very constrained by his inability to cope outside the home - he cannot filter out noises around him and so when he leaves the home his world turns into chaos. On top of this, autism is not visible and so people often do not understand why Samuel may act in a certain way. When Jade is with him however things start to get easier, as Jade gives Samuel a focus to concentrate on and she also acts as an outward sign to others that Samuel has a disability. People respond to this by giving him space and are a little more understanding if his response to a situation may seem a little different.

Samuel’s mother Bobbie said: “Jade has given Samuel the confidence to go out - he has now been to the bank about six times and he takes her to the vets. After 20 years of not being able to do things like this, it is a huge step forward.

“Jade also helps Samuel’s relationship with other people, as not only is she an outward sign that he has a disability but she is also a great icebreaker. Every day Samuel is out in the fresh air walking with his girl, Jade and has never been happier.  Jade slowly but surely is opening the door to the world for Samuel.”

The Kennel Club Charitable Trust awards grants to organisations who make a difference to dogs lives, supporting welfare organisations, scientific research and support charities like Canine Partners.

ENDS

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15^th October 2010

Image Caption: Samuel and Jade at the Canine Partners, Partnership Day. L-R: Becca Meaton, Bobbie Poulton, Max Poulton, Jade, Samuel Poulton and Andy Cook

Notes to Editors

The Kennel Club Charitable Trust was established in 1987 and has donated over £4.5m to a range of organisations and charities, with more than half of this money distributed in the last five years. 

The Trust awards grants to organisations to help them to achieve its objective of 'making a difference for dogs' and supports work with dogs across three distinct areas:
•        Science - funding research into health problems in dogs
•        Support - helping to train dogs to help human beings
•        Welfare - providing funds for dogs that need help or rescue

About Canine Partners

Canine Partners is a registered charity which assists people with disabilities to enjoy a greater independence and quality of life, through the provision of specially trained dogs, whose well-being is a key consideration.  

More than 1.2 million people in the UK use a wheelchair, and a significant number of those would benefit from a canine partner.  The dogs are carefully matched to the applicant’s needs and lifestyle, no matter how challenging.  They are trained to help with everyday tasks such as opening and shutting doors, unloading the washing machine, picking up dropped items, pressing buttons and switches and getting help in an emergency.  The charity aims to train dogs to meet the needs of people with even the most complex disabilities, including members of HM Armed Forces.

These life transforming dogs also provide practical, physiological, psychological and social benefits including increased independence and confidence as well as increased motivation and self-esteem. A canine partner also brings companionship, a sense of security and increases social interaction.

Canine Partners receives no government funding and relies solely on public donations and gifts in wills.

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