Blog
Stephen and his assistance dogs (Forward - Summer 2026)
How three assistance dogs rebuilt my independence (and sense of humour!) by Stephen Brookes, SIA Counselling and Well-Being Coordinator.
After sustaining a C4/5 complete spinal cord injury in 2008 following a motorbike accident, adapting to life was awkward, exhausting, and difficult. A serving member of the Royal Navy, I was also a husband and a father to two beautiful young girls so regaining my independence was crucial if I wanted to be an active participant in my own and family life.
During rehabilitation and after discharge, dropping something on the floor became a full scale tactical operation. Opening a door with anything on my lap was a slow motion disaster documentary, and out in public with my family, I felt disconnected watching life pass me by.
Then I met with Canine Partners, a charity which trains assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities. I thought I was signing up for help. What I actually got was a series of four legged life coaches – Major, then Kizzie and most recently, Ginny. Everything changed.
Subhead: Major: The black Labrador with a hero’s heart
Major was my first partner, a glossy Lab with Royal Marine work ethics and a vacuum cleaner appetite. If something hit the floor, Major retrieved it before gravity had finished its job. Keys, socks, remote controls, my dignity – he fetched it all.
He opened doors, pressed buttons, fetched the phone, and helped me undress (sometimes too enthusiastically). He walked beside my wheelchair like he was escorting royalty, giving passers by a look that said, “Don’t distract me. Unless you have chicken.”
Major was my first taste of real autonomy again. He made the world feel accessible, manageable, and always hilarious. He didn’t just give me independence – he gave me back my confidence.
After Major, Kizzie arrived, a Labrador–retriever cross with soft eyes, a calm presence, and a unique kinked tail. She immediately bonded with me and my family, the girls loved her and going to the park, out for walks and on holiday became adventures filled with laughter, enjoyment and love. She helped me reconnect with my children and made me feel like a father again.
Kizzie joined me as I returned to work in a new role as peer support officer with SIA. I was meeting with those affected by spinal cord injury providing information, support, and guidance. Kizzie was always a welcome distraction and I was amazed at how her calming influence allowed people to open up about difficulties they were experiencing post-injury. In a way, this realisation helped me transition into my new career and Kizzie accompanied me when I returned to university to retrain as a counsellor.
Returning to education as an adult was quite a daunting experience, but it was incredible. With Kizzie by my side I always had an ally, even late at night when trying to meet assignment deadlines! We graduated together and in honesty, Kizzie was probably just as qualified at psychotherapy as me (it was her eyes!).
We went on to win special recognition and independence awards and were finalists in the ‘Friends for Life’ at Crufts. I returned to SIA in 2019 as a volunteer before joining a wonderful team within the counselling service providing psychotherapy for those affected by SCI.
While the world shut down during the Covid pandemic, Kizzie stepped up. She helped with laundry, fetched medication, picked up anything I dropped, opened doors, and provided emotional grounding no Zoom mindfulness session could match.
Whilst I was delivering online therapy, she had a habit of inserting herself into video calls by placing her head directly in front of the camera, as if to say, “I can help!” Sadly, Kizzie died and losing her just after the pandemic was devastating; the house felt too quiet and still, but the love she gave and independence she restored stayed.
Then came two-year-old Ginny with a golden personality and the enthusiasm of my daughters at discovering glitter. We were partnered together only last year but our bond is so strong. She is sunshine in fur form, with a tail that could power a small wind turbine.
Ginny is brilliant at fetching items (including things I didn’t drop but she thinks I might need), helping me undress, opening and closing doors, retrieving my phone and pressing buttons. She picks up anything I drop – even my will on a cold and wet morning when she needs that walk!
She’s also perfected the art of “helping” by staring intensely at whatever I’m doing, as if sheer concentration will make the task easier. Sometimes she nudges things off surfaces just to show off her skills!
Ginny has brought so much laughter, especially when she proudly delivers a long-forgotten shoe from the back of a cupboard.
People often assume assistance dogs are pets with a degree. In reality, they’re highly trained professionals who make independence possible for people with disabilities in ways big and small.
They help with mobility support and domestic tasks, but they do so much more. They help when I’m out in public, making me feel confident in shops, restaurants, and busy spaces. They create a buffer, help me manoeuvre, and give me reassurance that I’m not doing life alone. They also bring emotional support, offering routine, comfort, humour, and partnership that’s hard to describe but impossible to overstate.
None of this would be possible without Canine Partners who help who turn puppies into life changing partners. They supported me through each transition, matched me with dogs who fit my personality, and taught me tools to build partnerships based on trust, teamwork, and the occasional stolen sausage.
Their work doesn’t just change lives it restores them.
This article was featured in the Summer 2026 issue of FORWARD, the only magazine dedicated to the spinal cord injury community.
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