John raised funds for Dogs for Disabled
WHEN Dundalk man John Morgan was told that he would be getting an assistance dog, his first instinct was to raise funds for the Dogs for the Disabled so that he would be able to give something back to the charity.
John, who has epilepsy, lives alone and is a wheelchair user. ‘My sisters persuaded me to get a dog and I applied to the Dogs for the Disabled who are based in Cork,’ he explains.
He travelled to Cork to be assessed to see if he would benefit from having an assistance dog and a volunteer from the charity then travelled to John’s home in Dundalk to see if it would be suitable for a dog. John has now been told that a Labrador has been lined up for him, which he will hopefully get in the New Year.
The specially trained dog will be able to raise the alarm if John falls in the house. ‘It will know to bark into the phone if there is an emergency.’
As John has paralysis to the left side of his body, the dog will be trained to walk on his left side and, if he drops something, it will pick it up and give it to him in his right hand.
It costs €15,000 to raise and train each assistance dog, and although the charity provides them free of charge, John wanted to raise money so that Dogs for the Disabled can continue with its work.
He is overwhelmed with the response to his appeal, which included a raffle for a signed Dundalk FC jersey, a raffle in Russell’s, a donation from Dundalk Lions Club and a coffee morning in Smyth’s Life Pharmacy.