The UK office of Vetoquinol, manufacturers of Veterinary  products and treatments, in Buckingham has donated £1500 to Dogs for the Disabled.

L-R Helen Bronti and assistance dog Vern, Helen Walker (Vetoquinol), Cathryn Simpson, Martin Gough (vetoquinol) and Emma Belcher with assistance dog Hayley.

The money was raised at this year’s British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress when Vetoquinol challenged delegates to join their charity cycle ride of over 200km on static bikes on the company’s stand.

On hand to encourage the riders were Mark Colbourne Paralympic Gold and Silver Medallist, Peter Gorbing, CEO Dogs for the Disabled, Matthieu Frechin, CEO Vetoquinol and  Gail Jones with her Assistance Dog Remy. 

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Charitable giving has never been easier with the launch of Donate Mobile. This innovative company has charity at the heart of its business, and since their launch in February Dogs for the Disabled has been benefiting from this corporate partnership.

Donate Mobile is a complete mobile phone service that allows our supporters to raise vital funds for the charity simply by using their mobile phone – with 10% of the monthly bill going directly to Dogs for the Disabled (at no extra cost to the supporter). The following short video explains its unique simplicity.

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“Dogs for the Disabled is delighted to be working with Donate Mobile to give our supporters the chance to get behind our work by simply using their mobile phones.”

Peter Gorbing, CEO of Dogs for the Disabled

Joining is straightforward, with fairly-priced plans for both Pay as you Go and Pay Monthly customers. Simply visit the Donate Mobile website, order a SIM card and swap it for your existing SIM card. 

• Receive a complete, reliable mobile service (using the Vodafone network)
• Have a choice of Pay as you Go or Pay Monthly SIM only plans
• Be able to give 10% of their monthly bill to Dogs for the Disabled – at no extra cost

The Donate Mobile service currently offers FREE calls between customers – which means as well as enjoying free calls between other people who have signed up, it’s a chance to get free calls between you and any loved ones who switch to Donate Mobile.

To sign up or find out more, go to the Dogs for the Disabled page on the Donate Mobile website.

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Bristol Instructor Wayne Davies (33), who was born in Yate near Chipping Sodbury and now lives in Shirehampton, has joined Dogs for the Disabled’s Bristol centre in Bedminster and will be working with  fellow Instructor Julie Smith and Puppy Coordinator Julia Winters.

 Bristol Instructor – Wayne Davies with Elsie

Wayne will take responsibility for the advanced training of assistance dogs, match them with the needs of a new client based in the South West and work with the client and the dog together ensuring they have formed a good working partnership.

Wayne says “I’m thrilled to be working for such an inspirational charity and helping train assistance dogs which will transform the lives of disabled adults and children. I couldn’t ask for a better job.”

Dogs for the Disabled trainers and instructors spend six to eight months training a young dog before they become a fully-qualified assistance dog, indispensible to a disabled adult or child and armed with an astonishing array of skills including picking up dropped items, fetching the phone, loading and unloading the washing machine, calling lifts and helping someone dress and undress. Learn more in our your questions answered section.

Dogs for the Disabled has trained over 630 Assistance Dogs to date and currently has more than 275 working in England and Wales. The charity must raise £12,000 to fund a dog from birth to fully trained Assistance Dog and nearly £20,000 to fund the dog for its working life.

It costs nearly £3 million pounds a year to run Dogs for the Disabled and the vital services it provides. The charity receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations, fundraising and volunteers to continue its pioneering work: 77p from every £1 raised or donated goes directly to support its work. With over 2000 enquiries each year there are many more people the charity could help.

Dogs for the Disabled is a member of Assistance Dogs UK.

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We need more teams to sign up for a Charity Golf Day at Buckingham Golf Club, Tingewick Rd, Buckingham MK18 4AE, on Tuesday 11 June 2013.

Charity Golf Day – 11th June 2013

This is a perfect event for local companies and a bit of team building - there will be coffee and bacon rolls from 8am, an all day carvery, special competition prizes and a charity raffle. Proceeds raised from the day will support Dogs for the Disabled’s inspirational work training assistance dogs for children and adults with physical disabilities and families with a child with autism.

Carole Muddiman, a local supporter, says “We’re asking local golfers to get teams together and have a great day while helping us raise funds for this amazing charity. Please call John Price on 01280 850488 to register your team”.

Take a look at other events you may like to get involved in.

The post Tee Off for Charity Golf Day appeared first on Dogs for the Disabled.

A team from Warwick Company Fozmula is in training for the annual Wellesbourne and Shakespeare Lions charity raft race from Wasperton to Stratford to raise money for Dogs for the Disabled, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Fozmula has already donated an undisclosed sum to use the Lions’ raft Simply the Best for the race on Sunday June 23, in which some 75 teams are expected to take part over the seven-mile stretch of the River Avon.

Peter Fisher, race committee chairman, said the Lions hoped to raise more than £18,000 for Dogs for Disabled, a life-transforming charity which provides specially trained assistance dogs for people living with a disability.

He said the money would be used for the purchase and training of 25 puppies.

Steven Jackson, managing director of Fozmula, which is based on Tachbook Park, said: “We have great admiration for Dogs for Disabled and all they have achieved in their 25 years and will be doing our utmost to raise substantial sponsorship for them.”

Dogs for the Disabled, now based in Banbury, was launched originally in Leamington by Frances Hay, a young disabled woman with a love of dogs who sadly died when she was only 40 and didn’t live to see the hundreds of people her charity has helped.

Stephanie Lawless, community fundraising manager at Dogs for the Disabled, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the Lions as their main beneficiary in what is a very special year for us and the sponsorship of the crews and their entry fees will provide us with much needed funds.”

Dogs for the Disabled are a life-transforming charity, creating exceptional partnerships between people living with disability and specially trained assistance dogs. There are currently 180 working in partnership with adults and 56 with children with a disability and 40 working with a family with a child with autism.

Other local businesses are already offering their support and becoming actively involved. For example, Tiddington based NFU Mutual has generously offered to sponsor some of the safety crews. 

Further information and entry and sponsorship forms are available on www.raftrace.org.uk

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Dogs for the Disabled Wessex Supporter Group raised over £6,000 in 2012 in a variety of fundraising efforts including supermarket collections, giving talks to schools and community groups, running charity stands at local events and managing collection tins in local businesses.

All members of the Wessex Supporter Group would like to thank everyone involved, from those who donated to volunteers who gave up their time to help and attend events.

Stephanie Lawless, Community Fundraising Manager at Dogs for the Disabled’s Banbury headquarters, said “We’re delighted and would like to thank the group for their hard work raising these desperately needed funds and for helping to spread the word about the charity’s work. Nationwide our Supporter Groups raised a grand total of £106,000.”

Dogs for the Disabled has trained over 630 Assistance Dogs to date and currently has more than 275 working in England and Wales. It costs £12,000 to fund a dog from birth to fully trained Assistance Dog and nearly £20,000 to fund the dog for its working life.

There are 180 Assistance Dogs working in partnership with adults with disability and 56 working with children with a disability.

Dogs for the Disabled was the first charity to train an Autism Assistance Dog and there are currently 40 working with a family with a child with autism.

It costs nearly £3 million pounds a year to run Dogs for the Disabled and the vital services it provides. The charity receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations, fundraising and volunteers to continue its pioneering work: 77p from every £1 raised or donated goes directly to support its work. With over 2000 enquiries each year there are many more people the charity could help.

If you would be interested in getting involved, or would simply like to hear more about what the group get up to, then please feel free to get in touch. Email: community@dogsforthedisabled.org or call 01295 252600.

The post Wessex Supporter Group Success appeared first on Dogs for the Disabled.

Banbury Supporter Group raised over £21,000 in 2012 in a variety of fundraising efforts including supermarket collections, giving talks to schools and community groups, running charity stands at local events and managing collection tins in local businesses.

All members of the Banbury Supporter Group would like to thank everyone involved, from those who donated to volunteers who gave up their time to help and attend events.  Denise Cronin, the group’s spokesperson, said, “We’re so thrilled to be able to contribute to such a worthwhile cause. We’ve increased our fundraising in the area – despite the recession – and we’d love to hear from anyone who’d like to help us.”

Banbury Supporter Group 

Stephanie Lawless, Community Fundraising Manager at Dogs for the Disabled’s Banbury headquarters, said “We’re delighted and would like to thank the group for their hard work raising these desperately needed funds and for helping to spread the word about the charity’s work. Nationwide our Supporter Groups raised a grand total of £106,000.”

Dogs for the Disabled has trained over 630 Assistance Dogs to date and currently has more than 275 working in England and Wales. It costs £12,000 to fund a dog from birth to fully trained Assistance Dog and nearly £20,000 to fund the dog for its working life.

There are 180 Assistance Dogs working in partnership with adults with disability and 56 working with children with a disability.

Dogs for the Disabled was the first charity to train an Autism Assistance Dog and there are currently 40 working with a family with a child with autism.

It costs nearly £3 million pounds a year to run Dogs for the Disabled and the vital services it provides. The charity receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations, fundraising and volunteers to continue its pioneering work: 77p from every £1 raised or donated goes directly to support its work. With over 2000 enquiries each year there are many more people the charity could help.

If you would be interested in getting involved, or would simply like to hear more about what the group get up to, then please feel free to get in touch.

Email: community@dogsforthedisabled.org
Phone: 01295 252600.

The post Banbury Supporter Group Success appeared first on Dogs for the Disabled.

Dogs for the Disabled partnerships were delighted to welcome Gold and Silver Olympic medal-winner Victoria Pendleton to the charity’s stand at Crufts today, Friday 8th March.

Here’s a picture of the British Cycling star, who has two dogs of her own, meeting some of the partnerships at the show.

The post Victoria Pendleton meets our teams! appeared first on Dogs for the Disabled.

Donate Mobile has launched an exciting partnership with Dogs for the Disabled, to provide a new mobile phone service dedicated to helping raise funds for good causes. 

Donate Mobile is a complete mobile phone service that allows our supporters to raise vital funds for the charity by simply using their mobile phone – with 10% of the monthly bill going directly to Dogs for the Disabled (at no extra cost to the supporter).

 “Dogs for the Disabled is delighted to be working with Donate Mobile to give our supporters the chance to get behind our work by simply using their mobile phones.”

Peter Gorbing, CEO of Dogs for the Disabled

Joining is straightforward, with fairly-priced plans for both Pay as you Go and Pay Monthly customers. Simply visit the Donate Mobile website, order a SIM card and swap it for your existing SIM card. 

Anyone switching  provider to Donate Mobile will:

• Receive a complete, reliable mobile service (using the Vodafone network)
• Have a choice of Pay as you Go or Pay Monthly SIM only plans
• Be able to give 10% of their monthly bill to Dogs for the Disabled – at no extra cost

The Donate Mobile service currently offers FREE calls between customers – which means as well as enjoying free calls between other staff who have signed up, it’s a chance to get free calls between yourself and any loved ones who switch to Donate Mobile.

To sign up or find out more, go to the Dogs for the Disabled page on the Donate Mobile website.

The post New partnership with Donate Mobile appeared first on Dogs for the Disabled.

Max and Ziggy, two Dogs for the Disabled Assistance Dogs, with their owners Sue & Byron Harvey from Thame, Oxfordshire,  are among the finalists for the Crufts Friends for Life 2013.

Max and Ziggy (from Thame, Oxfordshire): Assistance dogs who helped owners on the brink to find love – In a wheelchair and feeling isolated by disability caused by several life-threatening conditions including spinal surgery, brain tumour and double bilateral mastectomies leading to spinal bacterial meningitis, Sue Harvey almost gave up on life until her first assistance dog, Inka, arrived. She was then left heartbroken by her premature death. Byron Harvey, who has been in a wheelchair since boyhood due to polio, was devastated by the tragic loss of his childhood sweetheart and his assistance dog Isis was the only one to keep him going.

In a truly inspiring story Sue and Byron were bought together because of the link between their two original assistance dogs, who were sisters. Their friendship blossomed into love and then marriage in 2008, and now they and their current dogs Max and Ziggy show a love and care for one another that can scarcely be matched. Bryon said: “Both Sue and I had been through a lot of heartache due to our disabilities and the loss of ones closest to us. It was our original assistance dogs that bought us together and the journey to get our new assistance dogs helped cement that growing love. We share the knowledge  of how life changing these dogs are, giving us independence and a second chance at life. We are now such a close knit family.”

The five dogs in the 2013 competition were selected for their outstanding bravery and devotion to their owners. The dog that the public votes as having the most truly deserving tale will be presented with the trophy during a special ceremony in the main arena at the Birmingham NEC, on the final night of  Crufts (Sunday 10^th March) which will be televised live by Channel 4.

How to vote:

Sue and Byron and MAX & ZIGGY:               0844 646 0202

Voting closes at 6.30pm on 10^th March 2013.

Details and terms at channel4.com/crufts

Calls cost 5p from a BT land line.  Calls from other networks may vary and from mobiles will cost considerably more.

The winner of the Friends for Life competition will be presented with a £1,500 to give to their chosen charity (Max & Ziggy – Dogs for the Disabled – and the other finalists will receive £750). 

Alternatively please tweet or share this post. 

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