Animal charity seeking fresh volunteers for ‘amazing work’

DOGS For Good is seeking new volunteers to continue its ‘amazing’ work training and providing assistance dogs that change lives.

The innovative UK charity, which pairs expertly-trained dogs with people who need help to overcome specific challenges in their daily lives, have launched their ‘Do Something Good’ campaign to appeal for new volunteers.

Dogs For Good is, particularly, looking for puppy socialisers - incredible people that give their time to nurture, guide and teach pups the basics; setting the all-important foundations for their future training as assistance dogs.

Those who benefit from these life-changing dogs include people with physical and learning disabilities, families who have a child with autism and those with dementia and their carers; the dogs helping them lead full and active lives.

Dogs for Good client Mary Lamb, who is from the Wirral, has seen a marked difference after being matched with three-year-old black Labrador, Kingsley, in March last year.

Kingsley was socialised by Milton Keynes-based Dogs for Good volunteer, Linda Grist and she and Mary are now firm friends.

Mary has a rare hereditary degenerative condition which can cause a loss of feeling in her hands and fingers, sometimes for days or weeks. Mary also has

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and uses a wheelchair to get around.

Mary benefits from having “the most precious, gorgeous, darling boy” Kingsley by her side - and he can do some pretty amazing things!

Kingsley brings Mary her clothes and slippers, helps her get dressed, empties and loads the washing machine and can even put the footplates down on her wheelchair.

Mary said: “People like

Linda are absolutely amazing and I can’t thank her enough for what she’s done for Kingsley. He is the most precious, gorgeous, darling boy and I just love him to bits. He does so much for me and I cannot imagine life without him.

“Without puppy socialisers we wouldn’t have dogs that are going to help us because they are vital to helping shape Dogs for Good’s assistance dogs.”

The charity is holding an information session for people who want to know more on Wednesday, April 27 at 9am. The session will cover:

An introduction of what to expect as a puppy socialiser