Veterans with physical disabilities are finding companionship and confidence through assistance dogs from Hounds for Heroes, with a Veterans’ Foundation® grant helping the charity provide ongoing support to people and their dogs across the UK.
The latest £30,000 grant has enabled the charity to purchase its second Veterans’ Foundation®-funded vehicle, helping its team reach people and their dogs wherever they live.
For Debbie Pick, Head of Income and Partnerships at Hounds for Heroes, that continued support has been hugely important.
“The Veterans’ Foundation® over the last four years have supported us each year,” she said.
“We’ve actually been able to purchase two new vehicles and also appoint a fundraising executive and the salary for that person was paid for two years as well.”
Hounds for Heroes is a small national charity split between dog trainers and operational staff.
It receives no government funding and relies on grants, businesses and individual supporters to sustain its work.
The assistance dogs support people with physical disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs or walking aids.
Alongside that practical support, Debbie says the dogs help people reconnect with the world around them.
“When you’ve got a dog, people want to come over and say hello,” Debbie explained.
“It helps people reconnect with others and gives them their lives back.”
The benefits can extend to the whole family, helping people get out into their communities and feel less isolated.
Support for those relationships continues long after a dog is partnered with someone.
Hounds for Heroes provides regular aftercare visits, helping people and their dogs settle into life together and offering support as their partnership develops.
With partnerships spread across the UK, reliable transport is essential.
“To have two vehicles is brilliant for us because we do vital aftercare,” Debbie continued.
“So that’s where we would go out and visit once our dogs are partnered. And they are all over the UK.
“The team is also on call around the clock if a problem arises, so if there are any issues, there’s always somebody who can help out.”
The vehicles also carry equipment to events around the country, where the charity raises awareness, meets supporters and builds relationships that help fund its work.
By funding both transport and a fundraising role, the Veterans’ Foundation® has helped Hounds for Heroes deliver ongoing support while strengthening its ability to raise the money it needs.
For veterans and their families, that funding helps keep the team behind each assistance dog partnership within reach, supporting the companionship, confidence and connections that Debbie sees changing lives.
