Canon’s support sends canine carer into training

A puppy sponsored by Canon Medical Systems UK under its #madeforlife philosophy will soon enter the Support Dogs training academy. For two years the puppy will be trained in life saving and independence-inspiring skills before being matched with an owner to provide a lifetime of assistance.

Trained assistance dogs provide health and well-being support to people that need an extra hand. For example, they can pre-empt an epileptic seizure up to 50 minutes in advance, lower stress levels so that medication can be removed, and generally improve well-being to reduce the frequency of health appointments. This not only improves the quality of life for the individual and their family, but also benefits the wider health economy.

Support Dogs fund-raising manager Danny Anderson said: “Assistance dogs change lives. They breathe life and energy back into families that have been struggling to cope with everyday tasks or events. As we are solely funded by donations, partnerships with companies such as Canon Medical Systems are critical to ensure the flow of new puppies into our training scheme and enable more people across the UK to access the caring canine companion they need.”

Picture: Canon Medical Systems managing director Mark Hitchman with members of the UK team meet autism assistance dog Willow who has been trained by Support Dogs.

Published on page 2 of the June 2019 issue of RAD Magazine.