By Eoin Gubbins

The Corrin Events Centre, between Fermoy and Rathcormac, hosted an important conference last Saturday for groups and individuals interested in the promotion of the use of assistance dogs in Ireland.

Organised by Andrew Geary from Ballyhooly, the ‘Service Dogs of Ireland’ seminar brought together stakeholders in the sector, presented important research, and provided positive direction for the future.

'Service dogs of Ireland' was opened by Minister Seán Sherlock, and attended by the five major charities involved in assistance dog provision in Ireland, My Canine Companion, Autism Assistance Dogs of Ireland, Irish Therapy Dogs, Irish Dogs for the Disabled, and Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Dr Louise Burgoyne, Research Support Officer in UCC, presented a study she and colleagues carried out on the benefits of assistance dogs for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Parents with an assistance dog felt more competent about managing their child, and rated their child as safer from environmental dangers compared to parents on the waiting list for a dog. They also perceived the public as acting more respectfully and responsibly towards their child.

“It was fantastically well organised,” says Dr Burgoyne. She believes that one of the most important points that came out of the weekend was the desire for the sector to act with unity. “There was a suggestion of a working group to be developed to steer the sector in Ireland for purposes of accreditation and development.” She says such a group could provide security for families hoping to get an assistance dog.

Co-ordinator of Assistance Dogs Europe, Dr Elma Burg, gave a presentation on how the provision of assistance dogs in Ireland compares to other countries. Mr Geary says that, while Ireland was once a leading light in this area, it has now fallen behind the UK and countries from southern and Eastern Europe.

“We’ve fallen off the pace in the last ten years, especially as regards the types of assistance dog and the provision to different sectors of the population,” he says.

Dog behaviourists Elizabeth Walsh and Jim Stephens gave speeches on assistance dogs from the point of view of their profession.

Reaction to the weekend has been very positive. “I’ve got a lot of emails and texts over the last few days, they’re delighted that it was a real positive buzz on the day, and the feedback from the Irish Kennel Club and all the organisations is that this is the first step on a long road, but it’s the first step taken,” says Mr Geary. “There’s a lot of work to do, but everyone felt that all the organisations will benefit from this.”

He thanks the local business community for their support, especially Fermoy philanthropist Tom Cavanagh, without whom he said the event could not have gone ahead. He is also grateful for the support the event received from politicians, including Minister Sherlock, TDs David Stanton and Mary Mitchell-O’Connor, and Senator Colm Burke.

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