The purpose of "Hounds for Heroes" is to provide specially trained assistance dogs to injured and disabled men and women of both the UK Armed Forces and Civilian Emergency Services. Through this provision our aims are to provide help and practical support leading to an enhanced quality of life for our clients.

 

Initially Hounds for Heroes set out to raise £100,000, which would pay for the first 5 Labradors and their subsequent costs throughout their lives. The Puppies on Parade Appeal was so successful that we have just started our fourth appeal to purchase our latest squadron of cadets: we already have one squadron of puppies in advanced training and two squadrons in basic training at our Training Base in Petersfield, Hampshire.

Our dogs are carefully selected for all the qualities needed to produce excellent assistance dogs. The Charity has a small army of puppy parents who help with the first year of training. The dogs then enter advanced training to turn them from well behaved dogs into fully trained assistance dogs that not only bring quality of life to their owner by opening doors, picking up items, getting money from ATMs, opening train doors etc: they also bring companionship and love that can be missing when someone becomes disabled.