Where did the idea come from?

It came from Hope herself. Before she passed away, she expressed her wish for Ali to train Pippa to assist other children. When she found the strength to do so, she did just that. It just grew from there.

Where are we based?

While our administrative tasks take place at Ali’s home-based office, our dogs and handlers are actively serving throughout the entire North West region. We currently have partner schools in various locations, including Warrington, Wigan, Kirkby, Sefton, Huyton, and beyond!

How do we ensure the dog’s welfare at all times?

Our dogs are integral members of our team, sentient beings capable of experiencing both joy and pain. Our approach is built on the foundation of their consent (ask us how we get their consent!), and we strictly adhere to high standards of care. Our handlers are expected to uphold these standards, and our dogs only engage in therapeutic work for a maximum of two hours each day. Their welfare is our top priority, and we have established rules in schools to prioritise their well-being while also teaching children respectful ways to interact with our dogs.

Who owns the dogs?

Our dogs are well-loved pets first and foremost, who live with their handlers.

Are the dogs fully trained?

Yes, and Ali fully assesses them before they are allowed to be part of the team.

I think my dog would make a great Therapy Dog, what should I do?

Only ever use force-free training. Train them from being a puppy to a good standard of obedience and slowly and carefully socialise and habituate them. Then contact Ali about our Therapy dog course! As you’ll appreciate, we need to put the welfare of your dog at the forefront of Hope’s Therapy Dogs, and as such, we still need to go through a number of checks to ensure Dog Therapy work is right for them.

Do we offer 1:1 personal Dog Training?

We offer training for schools specifically for ‘school dogs’ and if a dog is working towards Therapy Dog training we will consider offering personal training for them depending on the situation - contact Ali to discuss this in more detail. 

Do we offer visits to Care Homes/Nursing Homes?

At this time we do not visit Nursing Homes/Care Homes as our dogs are not trained for this or familiar with the surroundings. They are specifically trained for working with children and young people in educational environments.