Ali Bailey is a puppy parent and works part-time for Canine Partners looking after their schools programme. This is her story: Many years ago I had a car accident and since that time have struggled with chronic neck and head pain which, two to three times a week, would get so bad that I was [...]
Lorna Marsh has lived with her Canine Partner, Eli, since December 2008. I knew that having a Canine Partner would help my independence but I truly didn’t realize by quite how much. Every time Eli does something for me I feel like it’s me doing it for myself. I’m not so dependent on people anymore, [...]
Wendy graduated with canine partner Edward in May 2008. This is their story. I was born with a rare skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa Recessive Dystrophic, which causes my skin to tear and blister at the slightest knock. My throat is also the size of a five pence piece and can close at any time, stopping [...]
Glen Tallett, a profoundly deaf man with cerebral palsy, is the first recipient of an assistance dog jointly trained by Canine Partners and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Deaf since birth, Glen’s cerebral palsy means he has poor co-ordination, muscle weakness and – in his own words – “annoying involuntary movements”. He relies on a [...]
What happens to a Canine Partner when their working life ends? We thought we’d ask one! Stephanie has progressive hereditary spastic paraparesis, a degenerative condition of the nervous system. For the last 11 years, Canine Partner Frodo has helped maintain her independence and quality of life. Last year, Frodo retired, but Stephanie and partner John [...]
Angie is an unusual Canine Partner – she’s worked with two members of the same family! When Canine Partner Angie came into Paul Chandler’s life, his daughter Anna admits she was a little jealous. Both Paul and Anna had Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a brittle bone disease that means their bones can break when simply coughing or [...]
Trainee Canine Partner Flossie is enjoying the best accommodation as she gets ready for her advance training. Flossie has now joined the pre-advanced training class that, as the name suggests, is preparing her for going into advanced training. All the dogs in this group can be called in at any time to replace a dog [...]
National assistance dog charity Canine Partners, which is currently training Flossie, is calling for help from Able magazine readers. Canine Partners is always happy to hear from any people who would like to apply for a Canine Partner, but they’re also on the lookout for help from individuals and businesses.
Kate Cross explains how an assistance dog called Byron has made a huge difference to her life. My joints dislocate very easily, so if I bend down to pick something off the floor my shoulder tends to drop painfully out of joint. Since mid-September 2007, though, my shoulder dislocations have reduced from several a day [...]
A Canine Partner ensures a Leicester woman feels safe and proud. Anne Pridmore from Leicester, has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user. She now shares her life with Eben, an assistance dog provided by Canine Partners, the national charity which trains dogs to change the lives of disabled people. “It always seemed that the [...]
