Arundel Cathedral carol service raises £5,000 to train Canine Partners assistance puppy

Held at Arundel Cathedral, the service raised money for Canine Partners to begin training a new puppy.

It featured carols, festive songs, readings and a demonstration by the Canine Partners demonstration team.

The event last Tuesday, which included readings from Downton Abbey actor David Robb and former professional cricketer Lewis Hatchett, raised enough funds to put a puppy through the first stage of training.

Puppies are selected at eight weeks old and they move into advanced training at around 14 months old, with the whole process costing £5,000.

Cat Howourth, events fundraiser, said: “Our first carol service at Arundel Cathedral was a huge success with guests enjoying a truly festive evening of carols, readings and mince pies.

“Events like this are so important to us as they help to raise awareness of the charity in the area surrounding our Southern Training Centre in West Sussex while raising money to transform the lives of people living with physical disabilities across the UK.”

Canine Partners trains assistance dogs to transform the lives of people with disabilities, boosting their confidence and independence.

The dogs are taught a range of everyday tasks including picking up and fetching items, opening doors and helping to undress a person.

They can even help to load and unload a washing machine and they can fetch help in an emergency.

For more information about Canine Partners please visit caninepartners.org.uk

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