Canine Partner "Zack" and David Filmer

2010 is going to be a special year for David Filmer as he celebrates his 40th birthday. Family and friends will be gathering at a country estate to mark the occasion. Among the guests will be his Canine Partner, Zack, a four-year Labradoodle who’s been by his side since March 2007. ‘I wouldn’t be without him,’ says David, 39, who was born paraplegic and uses a wheelchair.

Like all dogs that graduate from the Canine Partners training programme, Zack has been specially trained to help a disabled person to carry out certain practical, everyday tasks. ‘Zack’s made it easier for me to cope at home without help from other people,’ says David. ‘He’s there to open doors for me, pick up things that I drop and can’t reach, and help drag the laundry basket out to the washing line. Now I don’t have to rely on friends and neighbours for help and it’s great not to have to pester them so often.’

Where Zack has come into his own, though, is how he has helped bring about a change in David’s mental well-being. For many years, David suffered from depression. He’s always been in a wheelchair and adapted his life accordingly, and while people have suggested he can’t miss what he’s never known, David is fully aware of the implications of what it is to be a disabled person in a world that cherishes perfection, and the loneliness and isolation this creates.

Five years ago, David moved to Portsmouth to take up his position as Disability Officer at the University of Portsmouth. He offers advice and support to those students on campus who have a disability and works hard to ensure they can participate fully in their studies irrespective of their disabilities. ‘It took two years of job-hunting to find this position and while I’m happy I made the move, it was very hard to find my feet in the beginning,’ says David. Being in different surroundings and not knowing many people, he wasn’t in a good position to make new friends. He didn’t go out very much and was left at home feeling even worse. Several people, including his counsellor, suggested that he should get a dog. ‘At first, I thought this was impractical: I work and am often out of the house for over 10 hours a day: how could I leave a dog at home for that length of time?’ says David. ‘Then I discovered Canine Partners and they explained that a working dog could accompany me to the office, as well as help me with many practical tasks. What’s more, the dog would be a companion that would get me out of the house and socialising again.’

Zack has certainly done that. He’s a bubbly dog, full of energy and bounce and needs to be taken out regularly for exercise. ‘Zack loves to run and swim,’ says David. ‘During the week, we exercise in the park and then on the weekends we venture further afield where there are rivers so he can swim. He also loves the beach when the tide is out and he can chase seagulls across the mud-flats – this keeps him amused for hours. All this exercise means I’m losing weight and meeting lots of new people, too.’

But it’s not just on dog walks that David is getting to talk to other people. He and Zack have become regulars at their local pub quiz. ‘Zack is becoming something of a celebrity in his own right, which means more people know me, too,’ says David. ‘With Zack, I’m more inclined to go out to other places as I don’t’ feel like an oddball. He’s great company and a great motivator.

‘When I was doing my training with all the other dogs at Canine Partners, I wasn’t convinced Zack was for me. I was looking at a calmer, less enthusiastic dog. But the trainers watched to see how the dogs responded to me. They saw how Zack drew me out. And he’s so lively - you can’t sit back with him. Now when I have a low day, Zack is there to give me a cheery nudge to let him out, so I have to get out of bed.’

Since getting Zack, David has become a trustee of Canine Partners. As well as helping to oversee the charity’s finances and operations, he attends events and functions to promote the work the charity does and to inform others about the huge contribution assistance dogs like Zack make to the lives of disabled people. ‘Being a trustee is my way of putting something back,’ says David. ‘It’s really rewarding to contribute to the future growth of Canine Partners.’

As for David’s future, he’s got a big birthday celebration to look forward to and more happy days to enjoy with Zack by his side. ‘Before I got Zack, I used to have low patches on a regular basis, but now I rarely get them,’ says David. ‘Besides, I know Zack will cheer me up any way – he’s always so playful and cheeky, you could never stay sad in his company for long!’

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Canine Partners for Independence. Registered in England No. 2516146. Charity Commission Registered No. 803680. Scottish Registered Charity No. SCO39050