Support Dogs’ work is life-saving and life-changing. Its vital services also save health & social services millions each year.

However for many years we have faced an extraordinary level of demand.  We need to grow to help more families, train more dogs and change more lives.

In Autumn 2024 we purchased the site of a former warehouse, offering our charity the potential to significantly grow and increase the capacity of our work. It will also give us the opportunity to greatly broaden the range of services we offer.

We are now launching an appeal to redevelop this site into a new national centre of excellence for the training of epilepsy, autism and disability assistance dogs.

Appeal Summary

The Need

• Support Dogs is a rapidly growing national charity, facing an overwhelming demand for its services.
• Established in 1992, we are the only organisation in the UK training epilepsy seizure alert dogs. Our work for autistic children and people with disabilities is pioneering.
• We estimated in 2024, our work saves the NHS at least £35 million a year. We provided over 750,000 hours of health & social care support in 2024.
• We are currently based in a small office unit, with no scope to grow or develop services.

The Impact

• A 300% increase in the number of support dog partnerships created each year.
• The capacity to develop a wider range of services to further increase the number of children and adults we can support each year.
• Improved, specialist facilities to improve the welfare and training of support dog partnerships.
• The creation of a Community Heartspace delivering education and welfare sessions and also for the wider use of other community groups and organisations.

Learn more about our plans and how you can play a part in it here

National centre appeal