Aim

Hydrotherapy Support Dogs are a new concept. Please help us train a second dedicated hydrotherapy support dog.

https://www.facebook.com/helpingpeoplehelpingpets/videos/3946276325448080

Our hydrotherapy support dogs provide non-judgemental friendship, comfort and listening ears. Jordan, a six-year-old autistic boy, went through hydrotherapy and one year later he now happily communicates, makes eye contact, and plays and interacts well with others. Poppy, aged 8, had a lot of anxiety about strangers, noises and being touched. She responded well to Dolphin Dogs and is much more confident.

Our Dolphin Dogs can help children develop feelings of compassion, empathy, and inter-personal skills, and help improve self-control, attention, and confidence. Hydrotherapy can help build muscle tone and strength, improve balance, coordination, spatial awareness, and motor skills.

 Our Dolphin Dogs can help older people improve mobility, flexibility, bone density, muscle strength, circulation and blood flow, relief from chronic pain, and reduced blood pressure that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. June, 72, has Osteoarthritis, and hydrotherapy helps reduce pain and swelling, improves strength and flexibility, and reduces feelings of loneliness, stress and depression.

 Pet therapies are proven to encourage people to move more, stretch farther, and exercise longer, and help improve people’s immune system and quality of life. Developing a bond with an animal helps release endorphins that have a calming effect and encourage communication, which can help children overcome speech and emotional disorders.

Our Dolphin Dogs help people experience less feelings of loneliness, stress and depression – and just help make people feel happy.

Around one in five people who die from drowning are children under 14. Drowning is a leading cause of death for children aged one to four. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency hospital care.   Non-fatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functions. The danger of drowning is much higher for children with special needs, especially those with autism. 91% of wandering related deaths among autistic children are due to accidental drowning, so learning to swim with our Dolphin Dogs can help save a life. 

Each session begins with an assessment to develop an individual personal plan and record progress. This is followed by health & safety instructions, and a discussion around our safeguarding policy.  People then meet and get to know the hydrotherapy support dog. The hydropool session lasts around 30 minutes depending on a person’s needs and the therapy dog’s ability. Sessions are delivered by a trained hydro therapist qualified to a minimum OCN 3 level. We work with local organisations like special needs schools, hospices, and support groups.

Our ripple effect 

During the times that we have been unable to accept clients due to COVID-19 we have been busy developing a training programme for hydrotherapy support dogs. This will enable people to attend training so that they can deliver hydrotherapy support dogs in their local area.  We would like to begin delivery of our ripple effect training programme during the later part of 2021 but really need your support to help get our training programme going. If you would be interested in learning how to deliver hydrotherapy support dogs in your local area, please contact us to register your interest.

How you can help

We are planning to train a second dedicated hydrotherapy support dog during 2021. This dog is being specially bred for us and we await the happy arrival. Your support can help us train our new Dolphin Dog.

Who we help

Scampdoodles helps people of any age who have special educational needs or disabilities, are terminally ill or undergoing medical treatment, who are recently bereaved, or who feel vulnerable, socially isolated and alone. We help people of all faiths, and no faith, and any nationality or race, but especially like to help those people who feel most isolated from the community.

What we do

Scampdoodles registered as a charity in December 2016 and has three areas of operation. Dolphin Dogs (hydrotherapy support dogs), Scampdoodles (helping people in crisis find help for their pet), and Rosebank Garden (helping people grow). In June 2018 we launched the first phase of our website that helps connect people who are seriously ill or dying to people who can provide day care, respite care, or rehoming for their pet. In October 2019 we located a permanent base in Tendring which has enabled us to develop the activities and workshops we deliver.

We really do hope you can help support our Dolphin Dogs. 

This project successfully funded on 16th June 2021