A big thank you to all of our clients, contacts and friends who donated to our Christmas Charity Collection which raised £500.
The donation has been put towards the ongoing support costs of an autism assistance dog that is currently assisting a child in Leeds.
Brady is 8 years old and has autism. This affects all areas of his life but primarily Brady's autism causes severe behavioural issues. He becomes very frustrated and is easily overwhelmed which can make even the simplest task impossible. Brady struggles to control his emotions and violent outbursts are a regular part of life. They are hugely draining for him and his mum. It can take hours to calm him. They stop everything.
His mum explains “Last year our lives started to work again. A chocolate lab called Tyler trained and provided by Support Dogs came to help us. Since then Brady's violent episodes have decreased dramatically. When they do occur they are shorter and much less severe and never directed at Tyler, who acts as a companion, a distraction and a portable safe place for Brady. Tyler is such a motivating force for Brady; everyday tasks that were previously unmanageable are now easily achieved. Brady would refuse to walk for even five minutes, with Tyler he will happily walk with him for an hour. Tyler has brought calm, clarity and has been the key to opening Brady’s and my own life again. I don't know how we lived without him.”
Once a dog is qualified and out working with a family it costs the charity approximately £2000 a year for the charity to provide on-going support for that partnership, during its approximate 8 year working career.
The charity provides 24/7 care and support for the partnership. This includes ongoing training to meet the changing needs of the child (as you can imagine the needs of a child at 7 and the needs of 15 year old are very different) and also ensure the health, condition, behaviour and skills of the dog are maintained. It covers the care of the dog if it is taken ill and also support if the family become seriously ill, or have an emergency where they are unable to have the dog for a short period.
Learn more about our charity work here.