Dogs for the Disabled announced today (July 20th) a new name and identity for the charity.
From 15 October 2015, the charity will become Dogs for Good, with a new and much bolder presentation of the charity’s work, focusing on all the good that can be achieved by bringing people and dogs together.
The decision was made by the charity’s Board of Trustees following a careful review and thorough independent research among stakeholders, which suggested a new name and identity would be in the best long-term interests of the charity.
For over 27 years, Dogs for the Disabled has trained assistance dogs for adults with physical disabilities, but over the past 10 years the charity has broadened its services to help many more people; from training assistance dogs for physically disabled children and autistic children, to providing workshops and support to explore how a pet dog can help families with a child with autism. Most recently, the charity has started training activity and therapy dogs to work with specialist handlers in communities and schools.
While the charity’s services have widened substantially, its research showed that for many people the name and identity reflected only one view of disability and a limited image of how dogs can help people. It did not represent the many exciting ways that dogs are enriching people’s lives with the charity’s support.
The decision to look at the name also recognised that language around disability is changing and now focuses much more on people as individuals rather than what may be perceived as a label of disability.
The new name better reflects the range of services offered by the charity and brings opportunities to talk about all the people it supports. By widening its appeal, Dogs for Good hopes to engage a broader range of supporters and to open up new funding opportunities in its ambition to grow and help more people.
The charity plans to increase the number of assistance dogs trained each year and also to expand its Family Dog and Community Dog services, the latter largely funded by organisations which buy the charity’s services.
Peter Gorbing: ‘I’m privileged to lead an incredibly passionate and knowledgeable team through this exciting chapter in the charity’s history. We’re ambitious for our future and are committed to raising funds to help us reach and support a far greater number of people. We’ve taken a lot of care to ensure we create a positive brand for the future. I’m sure many people will support our vision for dogs to be recognised for the important part they can play in enriching and improving the lives of individuals and communities.’
Media enquiries:
Catherine Goddard, Press Officer – 01295 759825 , mobile: 07969 142023 or [email protected]
Notes to editors:
Dogs for the Disabled is an innovative charity, exploring ways dogs can help people overcome specific challenges and enrich and improve lives and communities.
Our assistance dogs support adults and children in their homes and in the community. We work with people with a range of disabilities and also autistic children. In our Community Dog service, our activity and therapy dogs work with specialist handlers in communities and schools. Together they help adults and children to realise their potential and develop life skills. Our Family Dog team gives specialist advice and support to help people get the most out of their relationship with their pet dog, most notably families with a child with autism.
We believe dogs are good for us and we continue to explore new ways dogs can help people in the future.