Flossie Gets a New Home!
Able magazine is pleased to report on the latest ‘career development’ for our favourite Canine Partner, Flossie!
Great news! After two years of training, Flossie will shortly go to live in Cambridgeshire, having been selected to become a Companion Canine Partner for a young Polish man who was injured in a road traffic accident several years ago.
Companion placements differ from full Canine Partner placements, in that the human Partner is not solely responsible for the dog – usually the nature of their condition makes this unrealistic – so family members or personal assistants are expected to routinely help with the care of the animal. Companion Canine Partners still receive the same high standard of training to assist recipients around the home environment, performing any number of different tasks, but they don’t wear the distinctive purple Canine Partner jacket when in public and would not be allowed to go into any shops where pets aren’t normally allowed. This is because the recipient is not independent in their management of the dog in public places.
As a result of his accident, Flossie’s future partner is unable to walk, stand or support his own weight on his upper limbs, and so uses a wheelchair. Canine Partners is optimistic that Flossie will be able to act as a type of ‘physiotherapy’ for him; her regular grooming and stroking will hopefully improve the function of his clawed left hand, particularly with regard to straightening it.
Practical tasks that will fall to Flossie include the retrieval of dropped items, tugging open doors – which she loves! – and pulling off jackets, as well as taking messages between family members. She will without doubt be a huge emotional support for her new Partner, as he has become quite isolated from his peer group in recent months. Another benefit will be to his family, as they currently spend a lot of time carrying out simple tasks that Flossie will be able to do instead.
Flossie is currently staying with her original Puppy Parents Chris & Geoff Walker, prior to heading off to Cambridgeshire.
