Thank you to everyone who supported our Philip Jackson Open Gardens event.
Thanks to your generosity, the day was a tremendous success and raised valuable funds to help us continue providing autism assistance dogs to autistic people across the UK.
Thank you once again to everyone who attended and supported Dogs for Autism.
Video courtesy of J P Morley-Smith.
We are absolutely delighted to receive a £1,000 Community Grant from Bluebird Care Alton, Petersfield & Havant.
As a charity, we rely on the generosity of individuals, businesses and community partners. Their support helps us provide life-changing autism assistance dogs to autistic children and adults across the UK, free of charge.
This funding will strengthen our aftercare programme and help us provide ongoing guidance, training and welfare support to every autism assistance dog partnership.
During the grant presentation, the Bluebird Care team met Jon and his autism assistance dog, Casper. They saw first-hand how an autism assistance dog can transform the life of an autistic child and their family.
Jon and Casper became partners in 2024 and have built an incredible bond. Casper offers reassurance, emotional support and stability, helping Jon face everyday life with greater confidence and calm. He has also made a significant difference to Jon’s sleep and overall wellbeing.
You can read more about their inspiring story here: The Magic of a Furry Friend.
We support every partnership long after placement. Our team carries out regular visits, provides refresher training and monitors each dog’s welfare. This ongoing support helps every partnership continue to thrive.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone at Bluebird Care Alton, Petersfield & Havant for their generosity and commitment to supporting local charities and communities.
On behalf of everyone at Dogs for Autism, and the families whose lives are changed by our dogs, thank you for helping us continue this important work.
We are absolutely delighted and honoured to once again be working alongside Raffle House as one of their chosen charity partners in their latest house draw.
Through this partnership, supporters who enter a Raffle House draw are able to select us as their nominated charity, directly helping to fund the training and placement of our dogs across the UK.
This partnership is already having a remarkable impact. Previous media coverage, including features in the Basingstoke Gazette, has showcased the thousands of pounds raised to support our work. Every ticket bought by someone choosing Dogs for Autism brings us one step closer to matching another autistic person with a life‑changing assistance dog.
We are incredibly grateful to Raffle House for their ongoing commitment and for helping to raise vital awareness of our mission.
If you’d like the chance to win an extraordinary home while supporting our work, click the button below.
Enter the draw here
Felicity and Phil are a shining example of how the partnership between an assistance dog and their person can transform lives.
Phil and Felicity are a testament to what having an assistance dog can achieve—their Medical Detection Dog and Dogs for Autism dual trained partnership embodies resilience, trust and mutual empowerment, every single day.
Felicity, an autistic young adult, lives with severe vestibular dysautonomia – a rare condition that causes her to collapse without warning. This combination made everyday life unpredictable and frightening, not only for her but for her whole family.
When overwhelming demand meant Felicity could not receive a dog through Dogs for Autism, the family rescued a 16-week-old Labrador puppy in January 2021 and named him Phil. Determined to give Felicity the support she needed, they undertook owner-training through Pawsable Assistance Dogs CIC.
Phil quickly showed his remarkable ability to alert Felicity ahead of collapses, giving her precious moments to seek safety and preventing countless injuries. He also performs a wide range of autism-related tasks, including deep pressure therapy, crowd control, locating safe exits, and recognising when a meltdown is imminent.
Phil’s outstanding progress led to the opportunity to join the Medical Detection Dogs Owner-Trainer programme, where his skills were further developed by world leaders in canine medical detection. With the support of Dogs for Autism and Medical Detection Dogs, Felicity and Phil became a unique dual-trained partnership, recognised by ADUK earlier this year.
The impact has been extraordinary. Felicity describes her journey with Phil as moving from “surviving to thriving.” She is back on the netball court, studying at college, volunteering at major league netball events, and enjoying public spaces and festivals with a confidence that once felt out of reach.
Phil is more than an assistance dog. He is Felicity’s lifeline, giving her independence, safety, and the freedom to embrace life to the full. In Felicity’s words ‘I have gone from surving to thriving’.
When Leo Long was partnered with a tiny 12 week old Cavapoo puppy named Cashel, a remarkable story of partnership and purpose began. Since then, Leo has emerged as a powerful and authentic voice in film, theatre, and music—always with Cashel quietly supporting him behind the scenes.
From Debut to Breakthrough: I Used to Be Famous
Leo made his on-screen debut in the 2022 Netflix film I Used to Be Famous, playing Stevie, an autistic drummer whose life is transformed through an unlikely friendship. The film reached number two in the UK and trended in over 60 countries. Leo’s nuanced performance was widely praised and led to a nomination for Breakthrough Performance at the British Independent Film Awards.
A Talent Beyond the Screen
Leo’s creativity and talent extend well beyond the world of film. His accomplishments include:
Performing in Much Ado About Nothing with Ramps on the Moon, an inclusive theatre company championing disabled talent.
Appearing in ITV’s Professor T.
Contributing as a musician with both the National Open Youth Orchestra and the London Youth Folk Ensemble.
Latest Role: Teardrops from a Clown
Leo’s most recent role in Teardrops from a Clown continues to build on this momentum. The award-winning short film explores themes of connection and understanding through the story of a retiring clown and a neurodivergent teenager. Leo’s performance brings honesty and heart to a film that is already being recognised internationally for its impact.
Cashel: A Constant Support
Cashel plays an essential role in Leo’s life and has been by Leo’s side both on and off camera, offering calm, focus, and a reassuring presence, supporting Leo through the demands of acting and public life.
Leo and Cashel are living proof of what’s possible when the right support is in place. Their partnership shows how an assistance dog can open the door to greater independence, confidence, and opportunity—both in everyday life and in pursuing extraordinary goals. We’re proud to call them part of the Dogs for Autism family.
In Leo’s Words
“Cashel helps me stay calm when things get busy. He’s my best friend and my partner. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together.”
Watch this amazing award-winning short film about connection, understanding, and unexpected friendship here
![Teardrops from A Clown](https://dogsforautism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-01-142218.png")