Dogs for the Disabled unveils new network of ‘county champions’
Dogs for the Disabled County Champion from Cork, Louie Geary, and mobility assistance dog Maisie.
They can open doors and close drawers, they can pick up laundry and empty washing machines, they help people walk and can alert for help - but above all else, they give confidence and companionship, and transform lives.
The charity, Dogs for the Disabled, has unveiled new network of ‘county champions’ to share inspirational stories about how their remarkable assistance dogs have helped them as it sets out to develop a new national training centre and permanent headquarters in Cork.
Lynn Owens, one the the charity's Cork county champions, suffered a spinal cord injury aged 21 and uses a wheelchair. She said having an assistant dog has been truly life-changing.
“Fern joined us when she was three and was by my side for seven incredible years, helping with everyday tasks that can be challenging - like picking up things I can’t reach, helping with laundry, and even fetching my phone when I couldn’t get to it. She was as much a helper as she was family," Lynn said.
Fern also taught Lynn's daughters, now aged eight and four, about care, patience, and the joy of having a loyal companion.
They were heartbroken when they had to say goodbye to Fern but they are very excited to welcome their new assistance dog, Paddy.
Louie Geary, 13, the charity’s other Cork county champion, lives with a rare condition called Kabuki Syndrome which has resulted in severe delays in his gross and fine motor skills, making things like walking on a footpath or going up and down steps a challenge.
But thanks to mobility assistance dog, Maisie, a standard Poodle who has been paired with Louie for almost five years, those everyday things have been made much easier.
“Prior to Maisie joining our family, Louie would have found it difficult to participate in family activities such as going for walks, going to the beach and even going shopping. Now, he enjoys those things, and so does Maisie," Louie’s mum, Marissa, said.
“Maisie has given Louie such confidence in himself and she is helping him every day to gain a level of independence that we simply could not give him.
“People now give Louie space when he is walking. Louie’s disabilities are not as obvious as some, and now he has the space he needs to navigate when he’s out and about thanks to Maisie.
“As a result, Louie’s self-esteem, his confidence and overall emotional wellbeing is going from strength to strength.
“I never realised or knew that a dog like Maisie could have such a positive impact on Louie and the family as a whole.”
The charity’s founder and Ceo, Jennifer Dowler, said their new county champions like Lynn and Louie will help build a legacy that will improve many lives for years to come.
“I hope they will encourage local fundraising efforts, such as coffee mornings, mini marathons, and community events. Every small act of kindness will help," she said.
Founded in 2007, the charity provides highly trained assistance dogs free of charge to children and adults living with physical disabilities, from task dogs for wheelchair users, to mobility dogs for children with Cerebral Palsy and Ataxia-type conditions, and a new Parkinson’s Dog programme.
It has trained and placed 312 dogs since its foundation. It has 188 working partnerships nationwide. It costs around €15,000 to produce each dog, but it receives no annual government funding. There is currently a three-year waiting list for some of its dogs.
Based in a small premises in Togher, on the southside of Cork city, the charity is renovating a period house on 11-acres, on the outskirts of the city, as its new national training centre and permanent headquarters, with hopes to expand its services and increase the number of dogs it trains and gifts annually.
Phase one, the restoration of the house, to include on-site therapy rooms, will cost €500,000.
Phase two, which will cost €1.5m, will see the conversion of two adjacent outdoor properties into housing for dogs-in-training, the construction of two accommodation cabins to facilitate on-site stays for children and adults being trained with their assistance dog, and the creation of specifically landscaped areas with safe walkways for training.
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