Our Community Dog team

Sarah

Sarah works with a specially trained Community Dog to support people with complex needs, such as autism, mental ill health and learning disabilities.

Sarah says: “I know how a dog can make an amazing difference to someone’s life. I’ve had a long-standing interest in how the special relationship between dogs and humans could be developed to help people… [The best thing about my role is] the joy on people’s faces when we arrive each week and the positive comments from the support teams.”

Julia

Julia works to deliver dog-assisted activities for people living with dementia, helping them to feel more confident, connected and independent.

Julia has “always been fascinated” by the impact a dog can have on someone’s life. Julia originally joined us as a Puppy Coordinator, before joining the Community Dog team. She says: “When the opportunity arose to join the Community Dog team to help people with dementia I knew straight away that I wanted to be involved.”

Úna

Úna works alongside one of our Community Dogs to support people who are living with dementia, autism and physical disabilities. She also helps people rebuilding their lives after stroke and other neurological conditions.

Úna’s love of dogs started at an early age, she says: “There are plenty of photos of me as a child with dogs I befriended on every family holiday, they’ve always been a part of my life! I’ve seen the possibilities and the strength of the bond between people and dogs, not just as a comfort, but as a powerful tool for change that can benefit everyone involved when done right.”

Natashya

Natashya’s work primarily focuses on supporting individuals, families and groups living with a dementia diagnosis, delivering meaningful person- and dog-centred sessions alongside our Community Dogs.

Natashya says: "I love being in a role that empowers people to achieve their personal goals through meaningful and enjoyable experiences. The human-dog bond offers a natural and mutual connection that helps build trust, engagement, and emotional wellbeing."

Carla

Carla works across all of our services, including our family dog workshops and assistance dog partnerships, as well as the community dog programme. Her work in the community sees Carla facilitate Animal Assisted Services for people living with dementia, people with physical disabilities and autistic people.

After starting as a kennel hand for the Ministry of Defence, Carla says her passion for helping dogs and people live well together has “grown and flourished” while working for Dogs for Good: “I love that Dogs for Good is so inclusive, and welfare driven, both for the dogs in our care and our staff and are always striving to evolve and improve.”

Lucy

Practitioner Lucy works alongside three of our Community Dogs, Ned, Lexi and Sunny, supporting people to work towards specific goals with the help of animal assisted activities and programmes that are tailored to each individual.

“The best thing about my role is observing the dogs making such a difference to people’s lives by their very presence,” says Lucy. “The amount of people they have supported and helped over the years is amazing, and the obvious enjoyment people get from spending time with them. Plus the positive feedback we receive from professionals and family supporting that person, such as a child returning to school after a long period of absence.”

Ursa

Community Dog

Ursa is a very happy dog – her tail is always wagging, she’s willing to please and she enjoys a good fuss. Ursa greets people with a toy and a wagging tail, showing them how happy she is to see them, which always makes them smile.

Georgie

Dementia Community Dog

Georgie is a dementia Community Dog. She’s a very gentle and calm dog that loves being around people, with a natural way of making you feel like you are the most important person in the room.

Lexi

Community Dog

Lexi is friendly, intelligent and really good fun to be around. She’s full of enthusiasm and loves to learn new skills, happily engaging in games or activities with people of all ages. She is particularly good at agility – often going over to the equipment on her own when we have finished a session!

Billy

Community Dog

Billy is very intuitive around how people may be feeling, which he mirrors in his own behaviour. When people are happy and excited, he will play games and act goofy. If someone is shy or withdrawn, his approach will be gentler and more considered.

Sandy

Community Dog

Sandy is a friendly and welcoming presence in our Community Dog team. With a natural ability to connect with people, Sandy plays a key role in bringing groups together, helping individuals feel at ease, and encouraging gentle movement and social interaction – always with a wagging tail and an appetite for treats!

Marcia

Community Dog

Marcia is a super girl with a tail that wags her whole body when she is pleased to see someone. She loves nothing more than playing with toys and a ball and swimming in the local rivers. Marcia such an engaging way about her – seeking out people to interact with even if it’s while she is casually walking down the street.

Ned

Ned is a gentle and affectionate boy who particularly likes physical contact - leaning against you and resting his head in your lap. Ned really enjoys riding on public transport and calmly supports people with getting on and off the bus or train.

Pilot

Pilot is a playful and affectionate dog who loves greeting people with enthusiasm, but also has a calm and gentle way of connecting with them. He enjoys swimming and playing with toys, which always brings a sense of fun to his visits. Pilot often joins people on outings to places like allotments and cafés. While he loves exploring, he’s also very good at settling down quietly so people can enjoy gardening or a cup of tea. His mix of energy and calmness makes him a wonderful community dog, able to bring joy while also providing comfort and companionship.

Walt

Walt is a happy dog who loves to meet people and children of all ages! Walt is keen to make friends and when in a group he never leaves anyone out, naturally including everyone. He enjoys all activities with people to help them reach their goals, from knowing many cues, enjoying various games, supporting wellbeing walks, to accessing the community and of course relaxing with a cuddle or two. Walt loves to travel, exploring new places and learning new things such as skateboarding! At home Walt’s favourite toys are his cuddly bear and sloth which he loves to snuggle up with, and his football which he dribbles around the garden like a pro. Walt's favourite walks are in the woods (especially if there's water he can splash in!). When relaxing he loves to cuddle up on the sofa with his handler Sarah.

Sunny

Also known as Bear, Sunny is an affectionate, inquisitive, comical, gentle giant of a dog - who thrives on meeting new people, making friends, and taking part in games and activities (especially his favourite game - hide and seek!). If you sit on the floor, Sunny will calmly approach and ask to sit on your lap - he also loves a cuddle and offers up a lovely headrest which people find therapeutic. He is always told how handsome he is, and gets a lot of interest and attention when out in the community!

Ludo

Ludo has a playful, affectionate nature and takes to learning new tasks with with enthusiasm. Whether it's his excellent lead walking or his joyful “zoomies” after dinner, his confidence and character always shine through!