0:00:08 > 0:00:10I like dogs, a lot.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12When I was little, my dad stunned
0:00:12 > 0:00:14our family by bringing home
0:00:14 > 0:00:19a seriously ugly stray dog on a length of string.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21And I loved her, I thought she was magic.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23And, ever since then, I've loved dogs for their loyalty
0:00:23 > 0:00:26and their friendship and for the way they make you feel
0:00:26 > 0:00:31like somebody, even if everybody else thinks you're a nobody.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I've even written the odd poem about them.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38'I always like a dog at home, it makes it nice and hairy.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42'And if a burglar calls your dog will make the place sound scary.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'Your dog will idolise you and his love will never stop,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49'you only need some food and drink, a bucket and a mop.'
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Now, I'd do anything for my dog.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54But, have you ever wondered if circumstances were different,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57what your dog might be able to do for you?
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Dogs can learn to the most incredible things,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03if they're given the right expert training.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05And, over the next few minutes, I'm going
0:01:05 > 0:01:09to show you how dogs like these can transform the lives of people
0:01:09 > 0:01:11who desperately want their independence back.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15And I'm hoping to persuade you to do whatever you can to help.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20In April 2000, Jenny Timms collapsed in pain
0:01:20 > 0:01:25and was rushed in for emergency surgery on an ovarian cyst.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Complications followed and she lost the use of her legs,
0:01:28 > 0:01:33leaving her completely reliant on others to perform even simple tasks.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36I was just this lump, either lying in bed or sitting on a chair,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and that's all I could do.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43I felt like, not only had I ruined my life, I'd ruined my husbands life.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Because he became my full-time carer. I lost my role, you know?
0:01:49 > 0:01:51My role, as a wife.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Once it was clear her disability was permanent, Jenny fell into a
0:01:55 > 0:01:59deep depression as she struggled with the loss of independence.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01I just lost my life.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05And I hated everything about my life
0:02:05 > 0:02:07and I just didn't want to be here anymore.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Thankfully, there's a charity whose whole purpose is to help
0:02:14 > 0:02:17people like Jenny who find that, due to a disability,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19they've lost their freedom.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It's called Canine Partners,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25and I've come here to the National Training Centre in West Sussex
0:02:25 > 0:02:29where they train dogs to help disabled people to have a much
0:02:29 > 0:02:32greater independence, and a better quality of life.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Dogs are put through a highly specialised training
0:02:36 > 0:02:39programme where they learn tasks tailored to the
0:02:39 > 0:02:42needs of the person they've been matched with.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46After graduating, they'll join over 280 Canine Partners,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50assisting people with disabilities all around the country.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55People like Lorna Marsh, who was born with quadriplegia,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57a form of cerebral palsy.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Since birth, she's been reliant on 24-hour care,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05until a Canine Partner came into her life, called Eli.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Part of my disability is that I drop things on the floor,
0:03:11 > 0:03:12all the time, and I can't help it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And before it was like, "Oh, please can you help me,"
0:03:15 > 0:03:16and then someone would come and help me.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Five minutes later, or not even that long sometimes, it would
0:03:20 > 0:03:23happen again, I'd be going, "Sorry, I've done it again.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25"Sorry, sorry, sorry." All day long.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29And now, I feel guilty if I don't drop something.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Because he enjoys it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Excellent! Good lad!
0:03:33 > 0:03:38So, he's made my disability into something positive for him,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41which makes me look at it differently.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45- Eli can do all sorts of useful tasks.- Good boy! Good boy!
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It would have been great if all he did was pick up things
0:03:48 > 0:03:51off the floor for me, you know, I would have been happy with that.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57That's enough. But he does 306 different things for me.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59He just gives me a look.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02If my drink's on the table he'll just go over,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04pick up the drink and give it to me.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07It just takes away some of the disability.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I'm a lot less disabled than I was before.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Can you get my hairbrush from the bathroom?
0:04:14 > 0:04:18But having a Canine Partner is about more than just help with
0:04:18 > 0:04:21practical things.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Good boy!
0:04:22 > 0:04:25All my life, I've been the one being looked after.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28And now I have him to look after.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32And that's a really nice feeling, for it not to be all about me.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36But I've got a responsibility, just like anybody else.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38And that's really lovely, I love it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Canine Partners put their dogs through 18 months of the most
0:04:48 > 0:04:52rigorous training so that they really can transform lives.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And they don't just help with practical things,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58in many cases they do something much more fundamental.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01They give someone back a reason for living.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Jenny will never forget the moment she first met her
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Canine Partner, Bliss.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11It was, like, just love at first sight.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16I'd not felt that happiness for such a long, long time.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It was an amazing feeling, it really was.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Before Bliss arrived, Jenny rarely left the house.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- But now, her world opened up. - Boots, get it!
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Before, I wouldn't have gone out on my own at all.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32With Bliss, we go all over the place.
0:05:32 > 0:05:38When we go shopping, Bliss will pick up items off the lowest shelf,
0:05:38 > 0:05:43like tins, packets and things, and then, when we get to the cashier,
0:05:43 > 0:05:48I will pass her the purse and she will then pass that to the cashier.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Ready? Up, up, up! Take it, bring it to mummy. Good girl!
0:05:52 > 0:05:55That is a real big help for me because, otherwise,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I wouldn't be able to go out and do the shopping.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02And having Bliss means that Jenny is able to do many more
0:06:02 > 0:06:03things around the house.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06She can get things and bring them to me,
0:06:06 > 0:06:11so that means that, again, I'm not having to disturb somebody else.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13I know that, if I fall on the floor,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17she will go and get a pulley that we've got on the wall,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20she'll get that she she'll pull me up so I'm sitting up.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Tug! Tug! Tug!
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Yay! Good girl.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Jenny suffers from whole body spasms that attack without notice.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34It had meant that she was too afraid to go out but, amazingly, Bliss
0:06:34 > 0:06:39can sense when one is coming on and warn Jenny 20 minutes in advance.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45I can get myself somewhere that's safe, take my medication,
0:06:45 > 0:06:50and, you know, not be embarrassed in the middle of a shopping mall.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54So I can just go and hide somewhere, which have been, you know,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57a really big, big help to me.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01The independence Bliss has given Jenny has taken a huge
0:07:01 > 0:07:05strain off her relationship with husband Daniel.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07It does make a big difference, having Bliss in our lives.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11We are now more of an equal and, you know,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14it's lovely just to get back to how we used to be.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19I'm just amazed at what she can do and how talented she really is.
0:07:19 > 0:07:26And she's, you know, she's my little star! Really. She's amazing.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34In the UK, there are more than 1.2 million people who use a wheelchair.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38And many of those would benefit hugely from a Canine Partner.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Sadly, at the present time, Canine Partners only have the
0:07:42 > 0:07:46resources to place between 75 and 80 dogs a year.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49But they would love to reach more people who need
0:07:49 > 0:07:52one of their beautiful, clever dogs.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54And you can help them to do that, please,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58by sending a donation to Canine Partners.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59Please go to the website...
0:08:03 > 0:08:04..where you can donate.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07If you haven't got internet access, please call....
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Telephone calls are free from most landlines.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Some networks and mobile operators will charge for these calls.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22You can also donate £10 by texting...
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Texts cost £10, plus your standard network message charge,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and the whole £10 goes to Canine Partners.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Full terms and conditions can be found at bbc.co.uk/lifeline
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Or, if you'd like to post a donation,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41please make your cheque payable to Canine Partners and send it to...
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Writing Canine Partners on the back of the envelope.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50And, if you want the charity to claim Gift Aid on your donation,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53please include an e-mail or postal address
0:08:53 > 0:08:56so that they can send you a Gift Aid form.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Thank you.