We really enjoyed your company at The Kennel Club and appreciate you giving up your time to join us in considering how the human-dog bond can meaningfully contribute to relieving the health and social care crisis that we face as a nation.
It’s an exciting time for the charity and we’re keen to share our growth model with you to address this urgent need. Additional funding will help us create the infrastructure we need alongside systems to demonstrate impact.
To do this, we will need £17m over the next three years, enabling us to keep doing our existing work and develop the regional impact.
An overview of our impact report will be available very soon and we will send it to you directly so that you can be one of the first to see it.
In the meantime we invite you to hear some first-hand experiences of those that have felt the transformative role that dogs can play in meeting their health and care needs.
Martha and Greg – Part of a cost-effective care package
Martha, who is partnered with assistance dog Greg, has spent time calculating her care costs, and now presents to care professionals on the benefits of a personalised care package, which for her includes Greg:
“I have roughly estimated the amount of time I spent in psychiatric and general hospitals over the last 15 years. Depending on the level of support I needed, the price per year ranged anything from £110k to £220k. Compare this with the cost of the care I receive now which I estimate to average £36k per year – this includes Greg, my assistance dog.
In addition the emotional costs of the medical model of care I received previously were devastating for me and my family. I was stuck in a vicious cycle of destruction and despair and not engaging with recovery, therapy or life.
From the personalised care package I now receive my life is richer, brighter and full of hope. I regularly walk at least a mile a day, and have friends and a great support network thanks to my partnership with Greg. I’m using my lived experience to support service design and development, both at regional and national level. I also support the recruitment, and training of healthcare professionals.
The impact Greg has on my emotional and physical health is immeasurable.”
Watch more of Martha’s story below:
Frank, Maureen and Oscar – Life-enhancing dementia care
Our dogs not only alleviate current care needs, but can also be beneficial in preventing and delaying future care needs.
“Maureen went into a care home for the last three or four months of her life, and I’ve always said that if we hadn’t had Oscar, Maureen probably would have been there a year before.”
– Frank and Maureen were partnered with assistance dog Oscar
Watch more of Frank and Maureen’s story:
Giving hope to families – Supporting overstretched autism support services
Every year our Family Dog programme receives around 200 enquiries, often from families who are desperate to find support for their child and to just be heard.
“I felt that they understand our situation. It is the first thing I have participated in regarding kids where I felt my child was understood. It is literally the best thing I have participated in.”
– Family Dog workshop participant
“They have offered me real hope. Getting practical help for [neurodiverse children] is near impossible – this provides a way to give my child daily support – a gift.”
– Family Dog workshop participant
