Dogs for Good (formerly Dogs for the Disabled ) is a UK-based

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

training dogs to help adults and children with physical disabilities and

learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficulty ...

, children with

autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

and adults with

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

. Until October 2015 it was called Dogs for the Disabled.

History

The charity was founded in 1988 by Frances Hay (1950–90) in

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Warwick (district), Warwick District of Warwickshire, England, southwest of Coventry and north of both Warwick and Leamington Spa. Situated at the centre of t ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

. This was as a result of Frances' personal experience with her own pet

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

helping Frances overcome her own

disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be Cognitive disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, d ...

. Following her death, friends and family continued the work and organization she started. By the time Hay's death, the charity had placed 25 working dogs. In 2000 a successful application to the National Lottery resulted in the building of a national training centre in

Banbury Banbury is an historic market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. The parish had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

where the charity is based today.

Accreditation

Dogs for Good is a fully Accredited Member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and meets the ADI standards in its assistance dog work. Dogs for Good is a member of Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK). Assistance Dogs UK is a coalition of assistance dog charities all accredited by Assistance Dogs International. Dogs for Good is a Full member of Animal Assisted Intervention International (AAII) and adheres to the AAII standards in its community dog work.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dogs for Good Assistance dogs Organisations based in Warwickshire Autism-related organisations in the United Kingdom Charities for disabled people based in the United Kingdom 1988 establishments in the United Kingdom