Theatre helps worker dogs

Cathy Dore (Dogs for Good) and Mark Higginbottom (Chairman of Lyceum Theatre) and Zeb the dog, a puppy in training.

TAILS were wagging as a season of sell-out shows for a dogged Oldham theatre created charity cheer.

The Lyceum Theatre donated £1,000 to Dogs for Good, its chairman's charity for 2016, with the money raised from the theatre's performances.

Young Labrador Zeb, with his volunteer puppy socialiser Cathy Dore, received the cheque on behalf of the charity from Lyceum Theatre Chairman Mark Higginbottom.

Dogs for Good is an innovative charity, exploring ways dogs can help people overcome specific challenges and enrich and improve lives and communities.

Its assistance dogs support adults and children with a range of disabilities and also children with autism. It trains activity and therapy dogs to work with specialist handlers in communities and schools and its Family Dog team also gives specialist advice and support to help people get the most out of their relationship with their pet dog.

Dogs for Good's volunteer socialisers care for puppies from eight weeks to around 16-18 months, before they start formal training with the charity, teaching them the basics such as lead walking, sit, stay and recall and introducing them to new environments they may encounter in their future lives as working dogs.

Mr Higginbottom became aware of the charity whilst attending the Geographical Association Annual Conference in Manchester in April where, as past president, he spoke to Cathy and met Zeb.