Irish Dogs for the Disabled

Dogs for the Disabled ethically breed and train dogs to assist with practical, everyday tasks to help a person with a physical disability live life to the full, thus breaking down barriers to the outside world and helping to improve confidence and lower stress levels for their partners. Each Assistance Dog is specifically trained to help his or her new partner but is also reliant on them to provide for their needs including exercise, feeding, love and care. These new responsibilities encourage their partner to become more active and outgoing in the community by taking their assistance dog for walks and engaging with the public at large. Thus increasing confidence and encouraging them to take up new activities e.g. sport, joining a club, returning to work or further education. Our partnerships have found the experience of getting an assistance dog life changing. We have a very strict policy that no money exchanges hands for any of our dogs, for any specific child or adult. This is to ensure we retain legal ownership of each dog throughout their lifetime, which enables us to maintain their welfare and also that beneficiaries receive their dog based on NEED and not financial status. We receive no government funding but year on year, with your continued help and support, we can grow and continue to create more powerful partnerships, opening more doors to change lives.