Exceptional dogs. Extraordinary partnerships. Life-changing possibilities.
Helpful Hounds Assistance Dogs is a UK registered charity (1181017) dedicated to transforming lives through the incredible partnership between people and dogs.
We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to live with greater independence, confidence and dignity, and we work tirelessly to make that possible through expertly trained assistance dogs and innovative community programmes.
Across all our programmes, we prioritise individual needs, ethical training, animal welfare and ongoing support, recognising that a successful partnership can have a lasting impact on individuals, families and communities.
At Helpful Hounds, we see every wagging tail as an opportunity to change a life. Together with our supporters, we are building a future where more people can experience the freedom, independence and companionship that an assistance dog can provide, while creating happier, healthier and more connected communities.
We train the dogs to a very high standard. All Helpful Hounds have the same basic training, including qualification for our own progression ladder through to the public access assessment. The specialist training will be tailored to the specific needs of the individual, family or school the Helpful Hound trainer will be working with.
In addition, our Helpful Hounds are specially trained:
- to help young people on the Autism spectrum and those with Down’s syndrome, by helping them gain confidence, develop independence and improve their quality of life.
- to help young people with physical disabilities, such as POTS, Cerebral Palsy and Muscular Dystrophy by granting them independence and improving their quality of life. Again, we train all our dogs to perform a minimum three tasks, but as many as needed by the Physically Disabled Person. We will also work with a small number of adults in this way.
- to help those with Mental Health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, OCD and Tourette’s by helping to grant them independence and improving the quality of their lives.
- as Medical Alert Assistance Dogs
We have found that more Schools, especially those that are Special Needs or have Special Needs Students or Departments, are welcoming Dogs into their world to fulfil a number of roles.
In Remembrance
Helpful Hounds would like to pay our respects to Lise Marron and her Assistance Dog Daithi. Lise had the vision and energy to start her own NFP Organisation, Capable Creatures, to enable people with mental health conditions to improve their lives with the help and support of the training and ongoing assessment of Assistance Dogs. Unfortunately, her work was cut short in 2022 but her enthusiasm, energy and commitment will be remembered by those who she helped and those who knew or worked with her for many years to come. Helpful Hounds believes strongly in the work she had planned relating to mental health conditions and has been honoured with benefitting from the closure of Capable Creatures. As a Charity, focused on Mental Health, we are in a good position to keep her objective alive.
Our Work Makes a Difference
HENRY
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PLEASE NOTE: On 23rd April 2023, a company Helpful Hounds Ltd was registered and is advertising Assistance Dog Training. We have been made aware by someone who was concerned. Helpful Hounds Ltd has no connection whatsoever with Helpful hounds Assistance Dogs and is not a Charity but a commercial company.
