Charity Partner 2023 - Dogs For Autism

Earlier in the year we asked the people of Alton to help us choose a charity to support for 2023 and are delighted to announce that we have selected Dogs For Autism as our charity partner.

Dogs for Autism is a charity that was established by Hilary Armour, a certified dog trainer, animal behaviourist, and teacher. Throughout her teaching career Hilary specialised in teaching autistic students with additional learning disabilities. Her inspiration for training assistance dogs stemmed from her personal experience as a mother to a young child diagnosed with autism.

Throughout her years of teaching, Hilary has gained extensive knowledge and understanding of the challenges that individuals with autism face in their daily lives. She recognized that assistance dogs could provide invaluable support and companionship to these individuals.

Dogs For Autism train and provide assistance dogs, at no charge, to autistic individuals of any age who will significantly benefit from such a partnership. The overall aim of providing a trained assistance dog is to empower autistic people to realise their individual potential, improve their access to their chosen communities, and to enhance their emotional and physical wellbeing.

The charity has made a significant impact on the lives of many individuals and their families with the dogs becoming an integral part of providing them with increased independence and a sense of connection.

Our team will be organising fund raising events to help Dogs For Autism continue to provide their invaluable support.