Dogs Make Great Carers

24.3.04

MP urges Minister to help disabled and save money with canine partners

In a special debate in the House of Commons today, Edward Davey MP for Kingston and Surbiton, asked the Minister for the Disabled, Maria Eagle MP, to help people with disabilities who would like to have a dog as their main carer.

Assistance dogs no longer just help people who have sight problems. They can also be trained to help people with hearing, mobility and other disabilities.

Edward Davey focused his remarks on dogs trained to help people with physical disabilities, who will learn over 100 commands to help with everything from opening doors to taking clothes out of washing machines. Edward Davey believes better guidance and grants can make more assistance dogs, more available for more people.

Commenting, Edward Davey said:

"Promoting assistance dogs is a win - win, helping people with disabilities and the taxpayer.

"People regain their independence and often go onto education and work, releasing their families or carers. Councils can make significant savings, as the cost of a dog carer is much less than a human.

"Assistance dogs are currently trained and funded totally by charities . With a little extra help from Government, the charities would be able to increase the number of dogs available, help more people and reduce the cost of providing care for councils' social services departments.

"Through direct payments to disabled people to cover a dog's food and vet bills, through grants to pay for places on special training courses and through a new approach to care packages, councils and the Government can actively promote the option of assistance dogs for those people who want them.

"The Minister's reply to the debate was extremely positive. She has undertaken to take up the issues I raised with Ministers across Government, and will herself look at my idea of subsidising the two week training courses needed to cement the partnership between dog and human.