A CHARITY that trains dogs to help for people with disabilities is celebrating three decades of transforming lives.

Dogs for Good has pioneered new ways that dogs can assist people with additional needs such as physical disabilities or autism.

The Banbury-based charity which works with people across Oxfordshire, has paired nearly 1,000 adults and children with a dog to help them live a more independent life.

It introduced the first assistance dogs for children in 2004, moving on to develop services for children with autism and has recently begun to train dogs to assist people with dementia.

The charity is marking its 30th anniversary by calling on more people to get involved with volunteering and fundraising.

Chief Executive, Peter Gorbing, who has led the charity since 1995, said: “Looking ahead to the next 30 years, we intend to share our knowledge and experience with more people as well as providing services directly to those that desperately need it.

“We’ll use digital and online technologies to support the work and will continue to innovate, share best practice and collaborate with others.”

The charity was founded as Dogs for the Disabled by Frances Hay in 1988.

The lifelong animal lover and dog owner, who was herself disabled, recognised that her own dogs could help her to maintain her independence.

She saw how her dog was able to carry out small but important tasks such as picking up dropped items and helping to steady her while walking.

This realisation inspired Ms Hay to start the charity and within the first year a number of physically disabled adults were already partnered with dogs.

Despite the death of Ms Hay in 1990, the charity carried on and has greatly expanded its work.

It rebranded as Dogs for Good in 2015 and has begun training therapy dogs to work with specialist handlers in hospitals, schools and social care settings in order to help even more people.

This has allowed the charity to support people with a wide range of conditions including learning disabilities, dementia, physical disabilities and autism.

Workshops to help children with autism get the most out of their relationship with their family dog have also been started.

Trainers realised that dogs can provide companionship and be a calming influence on an autistic child, helping to reduce the anxiety which comes with the condition.

Oxfordshire Freemasons provided a £60,000 grant in December to allow the charity to continue this work for the next three years.

Oxford based mum Alison Pearce, said her family found the workshop ‘life changing’.

She said: “At the first workshop, I was amazed by the many ways in which a pet dog could be trained to help an autistic child and how this would benefit my daughter.

“I sat there thinking ‘this could be life-changing.’

“It was also beneficial to meet and talk to other parents of children with autism.

“I remember thinking ‘I’m not alone, these people really understand'.”

Dogs for Good is planning a series of events across 2018 to mark the anniversary.

Organisers also want to get more people involved in volunteering roles such as looking after dogs when someone goes on holiday or driving puppies to their new homes.

To find out more see www.dogsforgood.org/about-us/30-years-changing-lives/