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  1. About us
  2. Welfare & our work with rescue dogs

Welfare and our work with rescue dogs

Everything we do as a charity is underpinned by our values and dedication to improve not only people’s lives but the lives of dogs.

Working with rescue and rehomed dogs 
We feel there are many dogs that are without loving homes, but have huge potential to become support dogs. We are champions for dogs who need a second chance. We source many dogs from rescue centres, council pounds or our pet dogs that sadly their current owners are no longer able to look after. In fact one in four of our support dogs join us in training from this background. 

As a charity, we do not shy away from dogs that may be classed as difficult and therefore left without a home, as we know from experience that given the correct training, a good home and care these dogs can become fantastic assistance dogs.

Do you know a dog that needs rehoming?
We are actively seek out dogs from these backgrounds who have might have the potential to become a life-changing support dog.

If you know such a dog please click here read more about how to introduce to this dog to us and and how this dog recruitment process works.

Working with rescue centres
We have designed and delivered short training sessions to the animal care assistants in rescue centres and rescue charities to help them assess immediately which dogs would be suitable for our training programme. This means less time in the rescue centres, reducing the stress levels for the dog. The stress induced by moving into kennels at a rescue centre can have a hugely detrimental effect on some dog’s mental health, so placing them with a foster family at Support Dogs as soon as possible reduces this.

Working with other charities not only helps to decrease the number of dogs in the rescue centres, but helps to create a positive image of rescue dogs as well as increasing awareness.


Dog welfare
As registered members of the internationally-recognised governing body Assistance Dog UK, the welfare and training of all our assistance dogs is of paramount importance.

Our training consists of entirely positive, reward-based techniques, and we ensure that all our dogs enjoy every part of their training and life as a working animal. 

During training
During their period of training our dogs never stay in kennels, but spend their evenings and weekends in the homes of loving foster carers, enjoying their time off. Foster carers play an important part in life of a support dog in training, and can foster dogs for anything  from a few weeks to a few months.

Life after qualification
Once qualified, the health of our support dogs remains of paramount performance. All our dogs receive regular health checks and assessments to ensure that not only they are physically able to continue in their role, but also to ensure they continue to enjoy their life.

Retirement
Our dogs retire at 10 years of age, ensuring they are healthy enough to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. We work closely with our support dog partnerships to ensure this retirement process is managed over many months to ensure our clients continue to receive the support they need, potentially at the start of their next partnership, while the dog is assured a happy and stress-free later life.

Occasionally retired dogs are unable to stay in their existing homes and we will then re-home them with a new, loving owner. If you are interested in taking on a retired support dog please get in touch to ask for an application form.

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Latest

  • Dog-loving Karlie’s dream job

    Dog-loving Karlie’s dream job

    Getting paid to work with puppies? It’s every dog lover’s dream job. But what is it really like to be a Support Dogs’ puppy coordinator? Karlie Wilson spills the beans.

  • Three canine heroes change Ann’s life

    Three canine heroes change Ann’s life

    As Support Dogs celebrates its 30th anniversary, long-term client Ann, who has epilepsy, looks back over some memorable moments with her three life-saving seizure alert dogs – and at what life was like before her first support dog.

  • Support dog of the future Alex makes two families proud

    Support dog of the future Alex makes two families proud

    Puppy Alex is keeping the memory alive of a young man called Alex who died after an epileptic seizure.

  • Lockdown silver lining for Diana and her support dog Lennie

    Lockdown silver lining for Diana and her support dog Lennie

    Diana and her Labrador Retriever Lennie qualified as a disability assistance partnership despite starting their training in unpromising circumstances.

Most read

  • Autism assistance

    Autism assistance

    Our autism assistance dog programme works to increase safety and the ability to have more socially inclusive life for children aged between 3 and 10 years of age with autism and their families.

  • Disability assistance

    Disability assistance

    Our disability assistance dogs are trained to support their owners by carrying out tasks tailored to their needs such as dressing and undressing, loading and unloading the washing machine, and raising the alarm. They also enable clients to lead more sociable, independent lives.

  • Epilepsy seizure alert

    Epilepsy seizure alert

    Our seizure alert dogs are trained to provide a 100% reliable warning up to 50 minutes prior to an oncoming epileptic seizure, enabling clients to get to a place of safety, and enabling them to live more independently.

  • What we do

    What we do

    Support Dogs is a charity training autism assistance dog, epilepsy seizure alert dogs and disability assistance dogs for those affected by a wide range of physical conditions including MS, Cerebral Palsy and fibromyalgia.

  • Job vacancies

    Search here for Support Dogs' jobs' vacancies.

  • Volunteering with our dogs

    Volunteering with our dogs

  • Foster Caring - Bed and Breakfast

    Foster Caring - Bed and Breakfast

    As Support Dogs doesn't use kennel facilities for its dogs-in-training, we are always looking for evening and weekend and stay-at-home foster carers to provide a loving home for our canine trainees.

  • How much does it cost to train and maintain a Support Dog? .

  • Could you be a puppy socialiser?

    Could you be a puppy socialiser?

    Could you do something amazing in 2022? We are looking for volunteer puppy socialisers to join our team to provide a loving home and help us prepare our puppies over their first year in training.

  • Recycle your old stamps

    Recycle your old stamps

    Recycle your stamps to raise vital funds for our work

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Find us

Support Dogs
21 Jessops Riverside,
Brightside Lane,
Sheffield, S9 2RX

Registered Charity No. 1088281

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