|
Hounds For Heroes started out as the dream of one man. Allen Parton,
a Royal Navy Veteran who suffered severe physical and mental trauma
whilst on duty in the 1991 Gulf War, the physical scars of which
he lives with to this day.
The
arrival of an assistance dog by the name on Endal transformed
his life and that of his family. Allen often comments that “Surely
our story cannot be the exception, can it?” and with that
thought forever in his mind he began the long process of setting
up Hounds For Heroes.
Ability not disability
The charity’s purpose is to provide specially trained assistance
dogs to injured and disabled men and women of the both the UK
Armed Forces and Civilian Emergency Services. Through this provision
the charity hopes to give it’s clients an enhanced quality
of life in line with their expectations. The charity will also
be able to provide help and practical support to help them achieve
this.
| Currently
there are over 900,000 injured servicemen and women in the
country, and that number continues to grow on a daily basis.
The unique mental attitude of serving personnel means that
only a handful so far have chosen to have an assistance dog
provided by the civilian offerings. When the guns fall silent
on the battlefield, the battle with disability, trauma and
bereavement go on for ever for all those affected. It is in
the aftermath of conflict that Hounds For Heroes dogs will
come into their own. |
|
EJ and Allen Parton with two
trustees |
|
Taught to problem solve and to be intuitive the dogs will remove
the sense of disability in the clients life and replace it with
a feeling of ability.
Hounds For Heroes will partner a client with a “cadet”
dog, enable them to start the journey that will restore their dignity
and self worth. Through the partnership they will regain the unique
feeling of loyalty, trust and team spirit that is lost on leaving
the services.
Puppies on Parade Appeal
The first step of Hounds For Heroes is to raise £100,000 through
their Puppies on Parade Appeal to purchase the first five puppies
and put them through their training. Known as Cadets these dogs
will all bear military or service related names in keeping with
the aims.
Speaking to D for Dog, Allen says “We have four serving members
of the armed forces as trustees (not long back from Afghanistan)
and if that was not humbling enough we've a battalion of serving
personnel really making this all happen. Obviously without public
support and funding we will struggle but the support has been over
whelming already.”
Together
We Can
To
help or find out more, visit Hounds For Heroes www.houndsforheroes.com
Hounds for Heroes is now a fully registered charity and can also
be found on facebook and twitter.
Hounds for Heroes is registered in England and Wales as a Charitable
Company limited by Guarantee Company number 07130031 Registered
Charity number 1134359. |
