Pups for disabled get City Hall call to arms

THEY’RE not just cute and cuddly – they will change someone’s life within the next two years.

These gorgeous eight-week-old golden retrievers are the latest recruits to Irish Dogs for the Disabled – a new national charity which breeds, trains and places assistance dogs with people with disabilities to help them lead more independent lives.

Over the next two years the puppies will be trained to help physically disabled children with poor balance to walk.

But they will also be trained to help physically disabled adults by performing a range of everyday tasks including:

* Retrieving dropped objects.

* Opening and closing doors.

* Sending for help.

* Turning switches on/off.

* Taking their owner’s socks off or holding a sleeve to help them take off a shirt or a jacket.

* Even emptying a washing machine.

Noelle Godley, 27, is one of the first people to benefit from the charity’s programme. Her assistance dog, Amy, was placed with her last year.

“She has made a huge difference to my life. She is like a member of the family,” Noelle said.

Originally from Enniskeane, Noelle suffered a spinal injury after surgery 11 years ago and had been using a wheelchair since. She also suffered a stroke recently which affected her upper limbs.

She moved to Cork city three years ago to live in her own home and said she rarely ventured out. But Amy has transformed her life, she said.

“When I got her, I had to go out with her. She has brought me out to exercise. I meet people and get fresh air,” Noelle said.

Amy helps take off Noelle’s cardigan and barks when she needs assistance like opening the doors at her GP’s surgery.

The fledgling charity, which was founded in 2007, hopes its new puppies will help more people like Noelle.

They will spend the next 12 to 18 months being socialised in host families before beginning their rigorous training programme.

The charity has placed about 17 assistance dogs already and plans to place several more in the coming months.

They are helping people with a range of conditions including MS, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.

The charity brought the puppies to City Hall yesterday to meet Cork’s first citizen, Cllr Dara Murphy, who has supported the charity as it launches a major initiative to promote its work nationally.

Irish Dogs for the Disabled was established in Cork in 2007 but it has already received international accreditation from Assistance Dogs International.

Training manager Jennifer Dowley said each dog is specially trained to suit the individual client’s needs and requirements, and is placed with the person free of charge.

“A lot of our clients would be wheelchair users, or would have difficulty walking and our dogs are trained specifically for each client,” she said.

It costs about €150,000 to fund each year and while it received a once-off lottery grant, it receives no state funding and relies entirely on donations.

* More details from 025-39393 or www.dogsfordisabled.ie.