The Support Dogs That Are Changing People’s Lives

In this episode of The Consult Room, I’m joined by Rita Howson, Chief Executive of Support Dogs, and Danny Anderson, Head of Fundraising, to explore a charity whose dogs don’t just offer support - they genuinely change lives.

Support Dogs trains assistance dogs for people living with autism, epilepsy and physical disabilities, helping individuals and families who often feel overwhelmed, isolated or unsafe. We share powerful stories of seizure alert dogs giving people precious warning time to get to safety, autism assistance dogs preventing children from running into traffic, and families experiencing simple moments they’d never had before - like going to the beach together.

We also discuss how dogs are selected and trained, the real costs behind each partnership, and why these life-changing dogs still aren’t viewed or funded like the medical solutions they truly are.

In This Episode:

• What Support Dogs does and who they help

• Seizure alert dogs and the impact of early warnings

• Autism assistance dogs and child safety in public spaces

• The “portable safe place” effect for autistic children

• How dogs are sourced, assessed and trained

• Demand, waiting lists and the charity’s plans to expand capacity

• The true cost of placing and supporting a partnership

Key Takeaways:

• These dogs don’t stop medical conditions, but they can restore safety and control

• The impact goes far beyond “tasks” — it’s independence, confidence and family life

• Training is as much about the human-dog relationship as it is about skills

• Long-term support matters, because people’s needs change over time

Resources and More Info:

🌐 Learn more or donate: supportdogs.org.uk

📱 Follow: Support Dogs UK on Instagram

🐾 Follow @DrPaulTheVet for updates and future episodes

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