Rambles with Remus: International Assistance Dog Week.

International Assistance Dog Week

Image of Zoe and Remus with text reading 'Zoe's Rambles with Remus'

06/08/2020

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well and staying safe as lockdown begins to ease.

Welcome to my latest Rambles with Remus blog. This month I would like to talk about a very special event relating to the work of Assistance Dogs and the many Assistance Dog organisations worldwide. This week is International Assistance Dog Week from the 2nd to the 8th of August 2020.

The main aims of Assistance Dog week are to;

Recognise and honour the work of Assistance Dogs
Raise awareness and educate the public about Assistance Dogs
Recognise the voluntary work done by puppy walkers and puppy parents
Recognise the heroic deeds performed by Assistance Dogs in our communities

In the UK there is a voluntary coalition of different Assistance Dog organisations under the umbrella of Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK). In order to become a member of Assistance Dogs UK an organisation must be an accredited of either Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF).

The member organisations of Assistance Dogs UK are:

Canine Partners

As you will all know from my previous blogs, Remus is my Canine Partner. Canine Partners train Assistance Dogs to the specific needs of disabled people over the age of 18 with even the most complex of physical disabilities. Over the years that we have been partnered Remus has been a true lifeline for me and this is especially apparent at this very difficult time of lockdown. He has given me much-needed companionship, understanding and confidence to be who I want to be. You can find out more about the work of Canine Partners by visiting their website.

Image of Zoe and her Canine Partner Remus.

Dog Aid

Is a charity based in England and Wales which works with disabled people and registered dog trainers local to their area to help a disabled person train their own pet dog to become their Assistance Dog. The charity works with the bond that already exists between the disabled person and their dog to create a successful partnership. You can find out more about the work of Dog Aid by visiting their website.

Dogs for Good

Is a charity based in England and Wales which trains Assistance Dogs to help disabled people live more independently both at home and in their own community. The charity especially focuses on helping people who are autistic and their families. Find out more by visiting the Dogs for Good website.

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

Is a charity which provides specially trained Assistance Dogs to support visually impaired and blind people to live more independently. The charity also provides a whole range of other support services including support with reading, education, and assistive technology for blind and partially sighted people and their families. Find out more about the work of the charity by visiting the Guide Dogs website.

Image of Euan’s Guide Ambassador Jonathon Attenborough and his Guide Dog Sam.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

Is a charity which trains Assistance Dogs to support deaf people to live more independently. The dogs are trained to alert their owners to vital every day sounds that their owner would otherwise miss. These include things in every day life which hearing people otherwise take for granted such as an alarm clock, a door bell or even a fire alarm. Find out more on the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People website.

Medical Detection Dogs

There are two different strands of this charities work. Firstly there is the medical Assistance Dog programme. Dogs are trained to detect changes in odour around a person and detect an oncoming medical emergency. This Is particularly helpful for people who experience severe diabetes, narcolepsy, and also severe nut allergies. Secondly the charity works in partnership with the NHS in cancer research programs. The dogs are trained to detect the unique scent that is given off by samples of breath and urine to detect certain types of cancer in a laboratory. The charity have also recently started work with the NHS on a Covid-19 research trial. See the Medical Detection Dogs website for more information.

Support Dogs

Is a charity which trains Assistance Dogs to help people who are affected by conditions such as epilepsy, autism and a variety of physical impairments live more independently. Find out more by visiting the Support Dogs website.

The Seeing Dog Alliance

This charity was originally launched in 1979 and then re-launched in 2001. The aim of the charity is to train as the Assistance Dogs to help blind and partially sighted people navigate their way around their communities. Visit The Seeing Dog Alliance website to find out more.

Assistance Dogs and lockdown

There's never been a better time to highlight the life changing impact that an Assistance Dog can have on their owners life. During the last 3 to 4 months of social isolation Assistance Dogs have provided even more of a lifeline for their owners. Dogs help people to connect with their local communities. Going out on walks and meeting friends is an important part of everyday life.

One thing that I would like to highlight is that in this strange new world of social distancing Assistance Dogs have not been taught the 2 metre rule, so if you see someone with an Assistance Dog please be aware that this is more difficult for them. It is also important to emphasise that you shouldn’t interact with the dog unless you are given permission. Please do by all means come and say hello and have a chat with the person but please be aware of social distancing guidelines especially if the person is blind or visually impaired.

I really hope you enjoyed this month’s Rambles with Remus blog. Do you have any stories that you would like to share with us about your life during lockdown? We would love to hear them! Please email them to hello@euansguide.com. Stay safe everyone!