Did you know that May lots of people across the UK will be having a Big Dogs Breakfast and helping to raise money for Dogs for the Disabled? If you'd like to join in all the details you need are right here:
This May have a Big Dogs Breakfast and raise the most with coffee and toast
The most important meal of the day is getting even tastier! This May across the country friends, families and colleagues are getting together and holding Big Dogs Breakfasts to raise money for charity Dogs for the Disabled.
Big Dogs Breakfast is a simple and fun way to get people together, have breakfast and ask for a donation to help Dogs for the Disabled train more assistance dogs for people with disabilities.
It’s incredibly simple. Big or small, at home or at work, at the crack of dawn or mid morning, invite your friends, family or colleagues and tell them it’s for a great cause. Despite the name, dogs are optional!
Have your breakfast your way! Once you’ve decided on the date and venue visit the Big Dogs Breakfast website where you’ll find a toolkit packed full of fun ideas and downloadable materials to help promote your event and entertain your guests no matter their age.
There’s something for everyone, including your canine pals! Printable materials include posters and invites, table mats, quizzes, face painting guides, dog friendly recipes and much more.
A Big Dogs Breakfast can be held at any time of the year but you may want to join in Big Dogs Breakfast week from 21-27 May 2012. Find out more at www.dogsforthedisabled.org/bigdogsbreakfast
Dogs for the Disabled want to hear about your Big Dogs Breakfasts. Please let us know online at www.dogsforthedisabled.org/bigdogsbreakfast. You can also join in the fun and keep up to date with all the action on Twitter and Facebook.
Dogs for the Disabled creates life-changing partnerships between specially trained assistance dogs and people with physical disabilities and families with a child with autism. These amazing dogs offer freedom and independence to those facing a lifetime of challenges.
People like eighteen-year-old Emily Mair from Enfield. Emily’s needs are complex, requiring both physical and emotional support for a rare condition which leaves her in constant pain and with limited mobility, and her needs are further complicated by autism. Emily has been paired with Simpson, a black Labrador to help her overcome the challenges of her condition and regain independence. Emily’s mum Sarah says: “Quite simply Emily is more confident and relaxed with Simpson by her side. Everything about Simpson is positive. People see Simpson and they understand that Emily needs a bit of extra time and help, but they talk to her and that makes her feel good about herself. Simpson also helps Emily with daily tasks that most may take for granted, such as, retrieving dropped items and helping her get undressed. Simpson is the best thing that’s happened to Emily in a very long time. Her life is better and that makes a difference to our whole family.”
Dogs for the Disabled currently supports over 260 partnerships across the UK, each one costing over £19,000 throughout its lifetime. The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations to carry out its work and there are hundreds more lives the charity could transform with your help.
To organise your own Big Dogs Breakfast visit: www.dogsforthedisabled.org/bigdogsbreakfast
Dogs for the Disabled is a small national charity that has created over 575 life-changing partnerships to-date, offering freedom and independence through partnership between people living with physical disability, or children with autism and specially trained assistance dogs. For over 20 years the charity has been providing dogs that offer practical support with tasks that many of us take for granted. For example; opening and closing doors, helping people undress, and even emptying the washing machine. They can help children with physical disabilities with daily physiotherapy routines, and provide a calming focus for a child with autism, allowing the whole family to take part in a wider range of everyday activities.
Dogs for the Disabled takes the welfare and care of its assistance dogs very seriously and to ensure high standards, the charity provides residential courses to equip those responsible for looking after their assistance dogs with the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain high standards. The charity also provides an aftercare service that regularly assesses every working dog’s working ability and wellbeing.
Definitions:
Assistance Dog Partnership
An Assistance Dog Partnership refers to an adult with physical disabilities and their assistance dog. People benefitting from the Adult Assistance Dog Service are responsible for the wellbeing of their assistance dog, with the support of the charity.
Assistance Dog Team
An Assistance Dog Team comprises a trained assistance dog, a child with physical disabilities or Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), and a Team Leader.
Team Leaders are generally adult family members (parents, guardians) or primary carers who live with and interact extensively with the child. Team Leaders learn and become skilled in dog handling and facilitation techniques that promote responsiveness and interaction between the dog and the child.
After the child has turned eighteen, if they have the capability to be responsible for their assistance dog, then they will have additional training to be reclassified as a Partnership. They are referred to as an Assistance Dog Team until they have this training, and the timescales for this can vary due to the charity’s limited resources.
For more information on this or the charity please visit www.dogsforthedisabled.org