Canine Partners

Mill Lane
Heyshott
Nr Midhurst
West Sussex
GU29 0ED

Tel: 08456 580 480
Web: www.caninepartners.co.uk
Best time to telephone: 9am - 5.30pm, Monday - Friday

Canine Partners is a progressive charity which aims to transform the lives of people with disabilities (Partners) by providing them with highly trained assistance dogs, enabling them to live more independently and enjoy an enhanced lifestyle. People resident in England, Wales and Scotland aged 18 years and over who have a disability that causes difficulty with walking and limits the use of their hands and arms may apply. Most of the Partners use wheelchairs and include people with the following conditions:

• Cerebral palsy
• Frideriech's ataxia
• Muscular dystrophy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones)
• Spinal muscular atrophy
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Spina bifida
• Spinal injuries
• Polio
• Stroke

Canine Partner dogs respond to over 100 commands and can help with the following:

• Opening and shutting doors, switching lights on and off, drawing the curtains.
• Emptying the washing machine.
• Retrieving a wide variety of items such as keys, an inhaler, crutches, or the telephone and giving them to their Partner.
• Passing over the purse or wallet and items at checkouts.
• Helping to stabilise during wheelchair transfers or walking with crutches.
• Carrying out a range of emergency procedures.

Dogs are selected and trained for the specific needs of each individual disabled person over a period of 18 months, after which time each disabled Partner receives comprehensive training and life-long aftercare support from the Charity. There is no cost for their dogs, except feeding and dog insurance.