News & Media

Those of you who follow our stories will recall the tragedy we experienced last year when Ger’s assistance dog Koby passed away after a shockingly sudden illness leaving Ger devastated with the loss.

Fast forward now to see Ger qualified with his new assistance dog Pal (Koby’s nephew) and enjoying their life together.

While there’s no replacing Koby, Ger needed to fill the poodle sized hole in his heart! Pal is a beautiful clever boy and he’s worked hard in his training to prepare for the day he qualified and enjoy his new future. Behind every new partnership there are many pieces of the puzzle that need to be carefully fitted together to ensure as smooth as possible transition into their new life together!

At Dogs for the Disabled we openly, and with empathy, acknowledge the difficulties people face in their daily lives. However we strongly believe that only through a positive focus and belief within oneself, can people face their challenges and achieve their full potential.

Ger is an exceptionally high achieving academic and we believe this new partnership will shine brightest together 💜

Our roofing contractors have arrived at our new property to begin remedial work and just like that a whole new world of possibilities is beginning!!!! Once completed our new home will make many more dreams a reality for children and adults of Ireland living with physical disabilities. Together we can shape our own futures.

Dogs for the Disabled has just been awarded the Triple Lock Standard by Charities Institute Ireland

Triple Lock status is awarded to charities that uphold the highest standards in transparent reporting, ethical fundraising and strong governance structures. This recognition is the gold standard for Irish charities to offer assurances to donors, members and the general public.

Check out each element of our Triple Lock in detail HERE

A huge THANK YOU to the Irish Farmers Journal and writer Maria Moynihan for this wonderful story published in last weeks journal. It’s about one of our magical partnerships Aaron & his assistance dog Mitch and the incredible volunteers behind the scenes that make our work possible. Read the full story HERE

We welcomed Kiya’s 11 puppies into the world last week. Kiya is an outstanding standard poodle. She’s sweet, gentle and calm with everyone and every situation. This is her second and final litter and her 11 puppies are thriving!  People often ask why do we use pure bred poodles? We began breeding standard poodles about 7 years ago for the children and adults on our list with tracheostomy tubes who can’t tolerate the shedding coats of Golden Retrievers or Labradors.  We have found our standard poodles to be exceptionally gentle and very tuned into the needs of their partner.

At Dogs for the Disabled we value and love all our dogs, the cute puppies, our life changing assistance and task dogs, and those living out their well deserveTommy the Hero Pup with Vet Emily at Sunbeam Veterinary Clinic, Corktirement with our foster families. From time to time each of our dogs need a little bit of extra loving care, and little Tommy needed this extra help now!  At a week old we identified him as having ‘swimmers disease’, common to over-sized puppies where they fail to develop normal walking patterns in the early weeks and their paws are splayed laterally resulting in an inability to stand - early intervention is key to reversing Tommy’s condition and helping him make a full recovery. We took our little hero to see the wonderful vet Emily at Sunbeam Vets here in Cork, to ensure he receives the very best of care possible. Our incredible volunteer family, Anne and Barry, began Tommy’s physiotherapy straight away with gentle, loving rotations of the limbs in short regular sessions every day. This maintained vital range of movement with the limbs.The next few weeks will be a lot of extra work, however what Tommy needs Tommy will get to ensure a full recovery for our very special boy!

The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as our team of young puppies in training embarked on a recent visit to Scoil Shliabh Rua in Dublin. As they trotted through the halls, they were greeted with eager smiles and enthusiastic waves from the students.

The highlight of the visit came when they witnessed a remarkable demonstration by Ireland's first-ever Parkinson's Assistance Dog, Leon, and his partner Duncan. The entire school gathered around, captivated by Leon's incredible abilities and unwavering support for Duncan. It was a heartwarming moment that left a lasting impression on both the students and staff, inspiring them with the power of compassion, dedication, and the incredible bond between humans and animals.

Things that really matter come in twos. Eyes, ears, lungs and limbs, and kisses on the cheek, one on each.

In the early April our lovely brood Nancy gave birth to two beautiful Golden Retriever puppies, a gentleman’s family, a little boy and a little girl. Life-changing puppies that will grow to grant the dreams of two small children and their wish to walk.

We can’t wait to introduce them to Jasmine, and Fleur, what a joy it will be to see four generations of this wonderful family together, but for now, we’ll leave them get to know their mum and the world that they’re going to change.

Kate Durrant, Volunteer

Excitement filled the air as Barry Gallagher from RTE's children's current affairs show, News2Day, descended upon Newcastle Primary School in Wicklow for a very special visit.

The star of the show was undoubtedly Kate and her remarkable Mobility Assistance Dog, Nasha. As the cameras rolled, presenter Barry interviewed Kate, capturing her inspiring story of increased independence, confidence and companionship with Nasha by her side.

Meanwhile, the school's young students warmly welcomed the News2Day team, buzzing with curiosity and excitement. It was a heartening sight to witness the students engaging with the importance of assistance dogs and the incredible bond shared between Kate and Nasha, leaving a lasting impression on all who were present.