Support Dogs - 04/10/21

On Monday Irvine Seagate Rotary had a hybrid face to face and zoom meeting.  Socially distanced members were pleased to be back together after such a long break, and others joined by video.

The speaker for the evening was Tess Thompson from Support Dogs.  This is an independent charity that provides and trains dogs to assist people with autism, epilepsy and disabilities.  Autism support dogs are stable companions for children creating a calm and secure environment for the child.  Pet dogs can be trained to pick up and fetch dropped items, and open doors for people with mobility difficulties.  Most interesting were the dogs that can be trained to predict epileptic seizures exactly 48 minutes in advance.  How they do this is still a mystery, but it allows people to get in a safe place or get support, and gives them renewed confidence toget on with a normal life.  The charity is entirely voluntarily supported and details can be found on their website, www.supportdogs.org.uk. 

Seagate is waiting on confirmation whether the Poppy Scotland appeal will take place in an amended form this year, and a changed format for the Christmas trees at the Portal is being investigated.