Dogs are incredible animals

I’ve long been amazed by sheepdogs, police dogs and guide dogs. Yet my work as MP has introduced me to other specially trained dogs – “assistance dogs”.

Guide dogs are assistance dogs, helping the blind. Yet there are now dogs helping the deaf and people with physical disabilities. There are even assistance dogs for epileptics, where the dog can sense a fit minutes before it occurs, and warn its owner!

These dogs give people back their independence. Rather than relying on relatives or professional carers, the person has a canine partner 24 hours, 7 days a week.

A dog won’t suit everyone – but there are thousands whose quality of life could be transformed.

Assistant dogs are trained and paid for by 5 charities – Guide Dogs, Canine Partners, Dogs for the Disabled, Hearing Dogs and Support Dogs.

I’ve been working with the charities to see how Government can better support them, so more people benefit.

In Parliament, I asked Ministers to consider new ideas, like grants for the training courses that introduce dogs to owners. As many owners go on to education and work after getting a dog, that would be money well spent!

I suggested other benefits. Canine Partners calculate that since a dog can replace many hours of paid carers, one dog can save the taxpayer £65,000 over its working life.

Let’s hope Ministers see the sense in that!

For more information about carer dogs see my recent news release on 'Dogs Make Great Carers'.