'Fostering trainee assistance dogs helped me when I was warned my husband might not survive'

Little over half an hour after walking through the door, Peter was blue-lighted to Northern General Hospital. There, he spent three weeks, diagnosed with three bacterial infections, as well as sepsis and pneumonia.

“As soon as he got into hospital, he deteriorated,” 65-year-old Janet recalls. “It was as if he’d waited to get there, for help. They did loads and loads of tests. The doctors came to us after a couple of hours and he was so poorly that they wanted to prepare us that he wouldn’t make it.”

After being in an induced coma for 12 days, retired bank manager Peter did start to turn a corner. But he was a shell of his usual self - frail and barely able to get out of bed. When he was improving enough to be discharged back home, Janet and Peter’s foster puppy Frank was by his side, seemingly aware of the need to be gentle.

The couple had been caring for Frank for the Sheffield-based Support Dogs charity, which trains and provides assistance dogs to help children with autism, as well as adults with epilepsy or a physical disability. He had arrived with them at eight-weeks-old, just two months before their trip to the Dominican, which had been postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Four-month-old Frank had stayed with another Support Dogs foster couple whilst the pair were away and rather than have someone else temporarily take over his care, Janet was determined she would collect the Red Fox Labrador as planned and carry on his puppy socialisation and training programme whilst Peter was unwell.

“We could only visit Peter for two hours a day and I said I’d rather get the dog back to give me something else to focus on," says Janet, a former University of Sheffield library worker. “It was really hard because your mind was repeatedly in critical care. Every time the phone rang, you would think it’s bad news. But having the dog, you have to get on with life and care for his needs...And, even though you’re really worried, you’ve got a little bundle to have a cuddle with.”

Janet and Peter have recently been named Foster Carers of the Year by Support Dogs. They are encouraging others to take up a volunteer role with the charity and say fostering assistance dogs has helped them through difficult times.

Just months after being gravely unwell, Peter was diagnosed with (unrelated) prostate cancer. As he was preparing to undergo radiotherapy in August 2023, Frank moved from the Dysons’ care into full-time training and now works as an assistance dog for a child with autism.

The couple, who have had dogs all their lives, had decided not to own another dog after their last, a cross-breed called Bruno, had to be put to sleep as a result of illness. But after learning about Support Dogs, they contacted the charity to express an interest in looking after dogs.

Their first placement was several days of temporary care for a yellow Labrador called Dug. Then, after Frank, in December 2023, they agreed to provide emergency holiday cover for a loveable Labrador and Retriever cross called Kelly. She ended up staying with them until May last year.

The couple, originally from Leeds, also took on the care of trainee support dog Adam, who was sourced from a rescue centre, from last March, and continue to nurture him. “Despite what we were going through, you have got to get on with your day, and each dog has been so lovely,” says Janet. “They are part of the family.”

“When the dogs leave you, it’s sad because you’ve built such a lovely relationship with them,” she adds. “But there’s always another dog waiting in the wings and you have to think about all the good that they’re going to be doing...”

“You get a beautiful dog fix without long-term commitment,” she continues. “So fostering is a no brainer.”

Janet and Peter picked up their Support Dogs honour during the charity’s annual Graduation and Awards ceremony, just months after Peter was given the clear from cancer. To find out more about volunteering with Support Dogs, visit supportdogs.org.uk