Heyshott charity appeals for funds after Storm Dennis and Storm Ciara cause damage

Canine Partners in Mill Lane has lost an estimated 150 metres of fencing around the perimeter of its 40 acre-site thanks to the fierce winds brought by the storms – leaving it potentially unsafe for the dogs which are trained there.

Cat Harvey, head of fundraising, said some parts of the fencing which had become wet and weakened had ‘completely crumbled’.

“It was bad the first weekend,” she said.

“When Storm Dennis came it made it ten times worse.

“It means our site isn’t secure and our dogs are having to train around fallen fencing.”

The charity, which relies solely on donations, is now appealing for funds to help repair the damage.

It hopes to raise £5,000 in order to replace the fencing with new and improved ‘hit and miss’ fencing, which allows the wind to travel through it.

Cat said the response to the appeal so far had been ‘amazing’, with almost £1,500 raised since Monday.

“I’m actually quite amazed by how much money has been raised already,” Cat said.

“People have been really generous and we’ve had offers of support from local companies.”

Canine Partners trains dogs to help people with disabilities with everyday tasks like opening and shutting doors, picking up dropped items and even unloading the washing machine.

The site in Heyshott has capacity for up to 24 dogs at any one time, and also hosts 40 members of staff and ten pet dogs.

The charity currently supports more than 450 people living with physical disabilities across the UK by providing them with an assistance dog.

Support the appeal via their Facebook page @caninepartners

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