Speaker
Catherine Pleasance

Tue, Apr 17th 2018 at 1:00 pm -

Told us how assistance dogs
help people with physical disabilities.

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Croydon Rotary Club was pleased to welcome Catherine Pleasance as the speaker on 17th April 2018.

Catherine spoke about Canine Partners, an organisation whose mission is to train assistance dogs to transform the lives of people with physical disabilities, bringing a greater independence and quality of life.

The dogs are trained on an amazing number of tasks to help such as operating traffic lights, loading a washing machine, shopping, bringing the mobile phone and undressing the person amongst many others. These life-changing dogs also provide psychological and social benefits including increased independence, confidence, social interaction and self-esteem.

The total cost of training the dog is £20,000 and in 2017 there were 74 new placements. The dogs are retired at the age of 12.

This charity receives no government funding and relies solely on donations from the public and legacies to help it continue its life-transforming work. To find out more, visit their website https://caninepartners.org.uk/

The picture shows President Peter Spalding presenting a cheque to Catherine to help with the work of Canine Partners.