News & Events
Seizure Alert Dog Dougal Enables City Fan to Attend Big Match
When it comes to supporting her beloved Manchester City, true-blue Lynn Ratcliffe is as keen as they come. So when they made it through to the F.A. Cup Final at Wembley Stadium last Saturday she was determined to be there - let’s face it, Wembley appearances have been few and far between for City fans over the past few decades. But there was one big fly in the ointment - Lynn has epilepsy and is prone to sudden seizures that strike without warning, two or three times a week.
That’s when her very own version of man’s best friend came to the rescue – Dougal, a Seizure Alert dog trained by the
Sheffield-based charity Support Dogs. When he senses the onset of a seizure he will sit in front of Lynn and stare intently at her, and when a major seizure is threatened he whimpers and lies down in front of her staring;
“He gives me about ten minutes warning of the onset of a seizure,” explained Lynn. “That gives me enough time to find somewhere safe or to warn people around me what is about to happen. Before I got him I only went to places I was familiar with – I wouldn’t have dreamt about going to the Cup Final!”
It is thought to be the first time a Seizure Alert Dog has attended such a big match. 52-year-old Lynn lives in Cheadle and was able to travel down to Wembley thanks to the efforts of Cheadle Supporters Club, and Hayley Crook the Manchester City disability liaison officer.
Dougal is 5-year-old crossbreed who has been helping Lynn since May 2008. Now, she says, she couldn’t imagine life without him: “I wouldn’t want to go back to the way things were before I got him,” she said.
“Life was frightening and I lost a lot of confidence. Now I can go pretty much anywhere I want, knowing he is there to help me. I couldn’t imagine life without him – and wouldn’t want to!”
When out working Dougal wears his Support Dogs coat and is very well trained to keep calm and make sure he monitors Lynn all the time. But it seems he may have got just a little caught up in the Wembley atmosphere;
“Normally he just sits alongside me at games and watches,” said Lynn. “But when Yaya Toure smashed the ball home he jumped to his feet, wagging his tail! He’s a dog in a million and I couldn’t live without him.”
That’s when her very own version of man’s best friend came to the rescue – Dougal, a Seizure Alert dog trained by the
Sheffield-based charity Support Dogs. When he senses the onset of a seizure he will sit in front of Lynn and stare intently at her, and when a major seizure is threatened he whimpers and lies down in front of her staring;
“He gives me about ten minutes warning of the onset of a seizure,” explained Lynn. “That gives me enough time to find somewhere safe or to warn people around me what is about to happen. Before I got him I only went to places I was familiar with – I wouldn’t have dreamt about going to the Cup Final!”
It is thought to be the first time a Seizure Alert Dog has attended such a big match. 52-year-old Lynn lives in Cheadle and was able to travel down to Wembley thanks to the efforts of Cheadle Supporters Club, and Hayley Crook the Manchester City disability liaison officer.
Dougal is 5-year-old crossbreed who has been helping Lynn since May 2008. Now, she says, she couldn’t imagine life without him: “I wouldn’t want to go back to the way things were before I got him,” she said.
“Life was frightening and I lost a lot of confidence. Now I can go pretty much anywhere I want, knowing he is there to help me. I couldn’t imagine life without him – and wouldn’t want to!”
When out working Dougal wears his Support Dogs coat and is very well trained to keep calm and make sure he monitors Lynn all the time. But it seems he may have got just a little caught up in the Wembley atmosphere;
“Normally he just sits alongside me at games and watches,” said Lynn. “But when Yaya Toure smashed the ball home he jumped to his feet, wagging his tail! He’s a dog in a million and I couldn’t live without him.”
