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Dogs For Good

£3 of every sale of my #titsoutcollective yarn is going to Dogs for Good. £1 of every other sale of yarn throughout July (apart from mini skeins) is also going to Dogs for Good. I thought I’d write a little about why I’ve chosen to support them.

As well as dyeing yarn, I have a part time job in a restaurant. Over a year ago, maybe two, I met a man. I’m not going to mention names. He used a wheelchair, and had a gorgeous dog. I found out that she was his retired assistance dog who still helped him out when she could. She was a black labrador crossed with a flat coated retriever. She was friendly, laid back, and loved belly rubs. In fact she loved any attention she could get. She would do a lap around the restaurant to see who she could get to scratch her head. One day she even walked into our storage cupboard to greet a colleague. She didn’t make a noise or jump up, just stood next to her until she got her head rub, before wandering back out again. She loved going out in our garden area and having a root around under the bushes while his companion drank his coffee. All the staff loved her, as did most of the customers, and the pair’s appearance never failed to make us smile.

The man and his dog became regulars to our restaurant. He told me of adventures they’d been on. She not only helped him get around the local area and go about his daily life, but she also allowed him to go on adventures on the train, to London and beyond. Now, when I say she was a retired assistance dog, understand that she was old. She plodded around, with a bit of arthritis in her legs, some days more stiff than others. She had many grey patches in her fur. She was still so happy.

At the beginning of this year, we heard that the poor dog had passed away. It was painless, and she was in her own bed with her companion by her side. We didn’t see the man for a while. When we did see him, it was obvious to us how much his best friend’s death meant to him. Not only that, there were no more adventures. His life became more difficult.

Today, as I write this, thanks to Dogs for Good, this man’s new companion is moving in. He told us with excitement a couple of months ago about his future dog. Last week, he proudly showed me a picture. It was only last week too that I found out that Dogs for Good was the charity that looked after and trained his new dog. The thing is, for this man, and for many more people, a dog isn’t just a best friend or companion. It’s their hands, their ears or their eyes, or their anchor to normality and independance.

Please take a look at the Dogs for Good website if you’re at all interested in what they do. And check out my etsy shop if you want to help me support them. I think they’re brilliant, and deserve all the support we can give them.

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