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For World Animal Day, we are celebrating Billy and following his progression from puppyhood to Dementia Community Dog and the difference he is now making for hundreds of people affected by dementia.
Billy’s journey began at just 8 weeks old, spending his first year with his wonderful puppy socialiser, Jan. He learnt how to sit, stay and wait for his food, proudly sporting his L plates when exploring new environments. He even made friends with an older pup called Uno – little did they know they were both destined for a very special job in Scotland.
Billy was a quick learner and this soon brought him to Dogs for Good’s national base in Banbury where it was time for a bigger jacket and to learn some fun new skills – even using his nose to push buttons and walk beside a turning wheelchair. The Dogs for Good team could see his special temperament would make him a perfect dog to support people with dementia.
Having completed his foundation training, Billy travelled up to Scotland to join his new handler, Carla, and the Dementia Dog team. He found a poncho helped him acclimatise to Scotland’s weather – even conquering his first munro. Support from Billy’s sponsor, Tynetec, meant he was now ready to embark on the next phase of advanced training at the team’s base of HMP Castle Huntly near Dundee. There, Billy joined the team of assistance dogs in training, working with men in custody as part of our prisoner rehabilitation program.
In February 2018, Billy and Carla successfully qualified as a Dementia Community Dog team. Very soon, Billy was working his magic in the community – helping people with dementia build new confidence and skills, and bringing joy and smiles wherever he went. He event became a TV superstar, appearing on BBC Countryfile.
Billy and Carla soon had a busy weekly schedule, setting up a new Community Dog program to offer one to one support sessions to give people with dementia more independence, confidence and connections in their local community. They also toured mainland Scotland setting up monthly Dog Day events, which have since welcomed hundreds of people affected by all stages of dementia.
Last year, Billy suddenly needed to learn some new skills – online! Since the start of the pandemic, Billy has helped pioneer new online programmes such as doggy bingo and supporting people one-to-one through video sessions to build confidence to get outdoors again. Despite the restrictions, Billy has found ways to spread his magic and touch hundreds of lives to keep people connected and reduce social isolation. Well done Billy!
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Dementia Dog is an innovative partnership project between Alzheimer Scotland and Dogs for Good. The project supports families living with dementia, both at home and in community settings. Fully trained dogs can be matched and placed into a person’s home, where one member of the family is in the early stages of the illness.