Not so long ago a little boy from Sheffield called Sam couldn’t cope with noise, bright lights or crowds, had regular melt downs and refused to leave the house but Support Dogs came to help.
Sam, who has autism, also suffered from anxiety and depression, and his family struggled to lead a normal life.
But thanks to a wonder-dog called Willow trained and provided by Sheffield-based national charity Support Dogs who keeps him calm and reduces his anxiety, Sam, now aged eight, has been able to go back to school.
And he and his family are able to enjoy days out – and even have trips to Alton Towers.
Sam is one of a number of children and adults whose life has been transformed by the work of Support Dogs, who have been training ordinary dogs to do extraordinary things since 1991.
The charity runs three programmes aimed at helping children with autism and adults with epilepsy and physical disability, enabling them to lead safer, more independent lives.
But as a small charity it struggles to meet rising demand, and is currently looking for local people to look after its puppies and adults dogs before they start their proper training. Can you help?
Any donation you can make is important. Support Dogs receive almost 5,000 requests a year from families in desperate need of their services. They want to help more people and train more dogs to improve the lives of more children and adults affected by some of the most challenging of conditions.
The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations and wouldn’t be able to do our work without it’s supporters.
Not so long ago a little boy from Sheffield called Sam couldn’t cope with noise, bright lights or crowds, had regular melt downs and refused to leave the house but Support Dogs came to help.
