Our history

It began with an idea – specially trained dogs could transform the lives of people with physical disabilities. Two visionary women joined forces – Anne Conway, an assistance dogs enthusiast and dog welfare campaigner, and Dr Elizabeth Ormerod, a well-known vet and expert in animal-assisted therapy.

In 1983, Anne was inspired by assistance dogs in action at a conference in Vienna. She later met Elizabeth in Boston, and together brought the concept to the UK, with the highest standards of care for both dogs and people.

With support from the SOHO Foundation in the Netherlands – which had an established assistance dogs programme – and expertise from trainer and behaviourist Nina Bondarenko, Canine Partners began to take shape. It wasn’t easy, but Anne’s motto held true: ‘Perfect Planning Prevents Problems!’

The charity was officially founded in 1990. Our first expertly trained canine partner was Angus, a Golden Retriever. He was one of a litter affectionately known as The A-Team.

In the early years, Canine Partners rented sites around Hampshire to breed, train and support assistance dogs. We found our first permanent home at Heyshott in West Sussex. Training continued while developers transformed the former polo yard, farm, and outbuildings into specialist facilities fit for the life-long partnerships we were building there.

In 2005 our Patron, HRH the Duke of Gloucester, officially opened the Southern Training Centre. It remained a much-loved part of our charity for 20 years, laying the foundations for strong, unwavering bonds between assistance dogs and their people.

As Canine Partners grew, so did our waiting list. We needed more space and a base that helped us reach disabled people across the UK. In 2012 we purchased  Fields Farm in Leicestershire, which became our National Training Centre – the home of Canine Partners today.

Thanks to our incredible community of supporters, major donors, trusts and foundations, we have steadily transformed this derelict pig farm into world-class training arenas, kennels and accessible accommodation.

As our charity turned 35, it was a moment to celebrate everything we’ve achieved together, with special events and a memory book full of stories and snapshots from the heart of Canine Partners.

And we marked a huge milestone – our 1,000th life-changing partnership. From breeders to expert trainers and the aftercare support team, Sue and her canine partner James reunited with the community who’ve supported their journey from day one.

‘James brightened up my life from the moment he was introduced to me… As our life together continues, my health becomes easier and happier.’ – Sue

We’re already looking forward to the next generation of life-changing assistance dogs and the independence, confidence and companionship they’ll bring to their partners. You can be at the heart of that story. Whether it’s by making a gift or giving your time and skills as a volunteer, you can help us write the next chapter.