Words by Smiley Team
It’s said that dogs are man's best friend, and now even more people can have their lives enriched by a canine pal.
Dogs for Autism was set up to train and provide assistance dogs, free of charge, to autistic individuals of any age, who will significantly benefit from having a furry friend.
The charity's aim is to empower people with autism to realise their individual potential, improve their access to their chosen communities, and enhance their emotional and physical wellbeing.
Through their assistance dogs – trained to mitigate some of the disabling impacts of autism and the environment – they are committed to creating and maintaining successful dog partnerships that impact positively on the lives of autistic individuals and families.
(Read more about these service dogs helping people lead happier lives)
“We work exclusively for the autistic population and are different from other assistance dog charities in our approach," said a spokesperson from the charity.
"Throughout the training process, from new puppy to trained dog, we work with individuals and families in their homes and local area. This means we can be confident our dogs are bonded with and trained to provide the best possible support to their individual autistic partners.
"We do not charge for our dogs, nor do we operate blanket policies about who we can and can’t support, but instead consider applicants on an individual case basis.”
Having a Dogs for Autism assistance dog can produce life-changing benefits for their autistic partners and their families.
Independence, access to education, the workplace and the community bring joy and riches taken for granted by most. The people the charity works with experience profound barriers to experiencing their world, but with the help of an assistance dog their potential is unlocked in a way that no other support or interventions achieve.
(Learn more about this reading initiative to help shy dogs)
Currently, Dogs for Autism have 30 assistance dogs in the UK that are either working or in training, but they receive more than a thousand enquiries each year from people interested in applying.
The only limit to how many dogs they can train and place with families is financial – and once they have more funds in place, they will be able to train more dogs to support more autistic people.
You can sponsor a Dogs for autism puppy for as little as £5 a month, and transform the life of an autistic child or adult.
As a sponsor, you will gain a unique insight into your puppy’s development and training. Once your puppy graduates, your sponsorship will transfer on to a new puppy, or you can sponsor a dog all the way through its life from puppyhood to retirement.
Find out more at dogsforautism.org.uk.
