Taylor Emmet’s paw-fect charity pup gesture arrives from Battersea

Sheffield-based Support Dogs has welcomed cute yellow Lab Emmet, who was originally rescued by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

The three-month-old pooch was part of a litter born at the Battersea rescue centre, after his mum was handed into its care while pregnant.

Emmet was named by local legal firm Taylor Emmet after the solicitors pledged to fund his training at Support Dogs, a national charity which trains and provides assistance dogs to help autistic children, as well as adults with epilepsy or a physical disability, to live safer, more independent lives.

Named after Lewis Emmet who joined Alfred Taylor & Co law firm as a partner in 1897, six years before the Taylor & Emmet name change, the pup’s future looks bright as he could go on to become an autism assistance, disability assistance or seizure alert dog.

Taylor Emmet has become a long-time supporter of the Jessops Riverside-based charity, and has pledged to raise thousands of pounds for Support Dogs through various events.

Josh Proud, marketing manager at the firm, said: “The team at Support Dogs has been amazing to work with and we are honoured that they are naming their latest recruit, ‘Emmet’.

“The relationship we have with Support Dogs is fantastic - our staff have made a real effort to raise funds over the past two years, whether it be skydives, family fundays, bake sales or sponsored walks.

“We were delighted to have Chris Daykin from Support Dogs come and speak to our staff at our 2024 Annual Conference where we announced the imminent arrival of Emmet. We look forward to working with Support Dogs for years to come and watching Emmet’s progress.”

Chris Daykin, the charity’s corporate partnerships manager, said: “We are so grateful for the fantastic support that we have received from Taylor Emmet in recent years.

“They’ve raised such a significant amount of money for us already and it’s wonderful that they’re committed to a long-term partnership with us and supporting Emmet through his entire journey.”

Emmet is living with volunteer puppy socialisers Steve and Kim Williams in Wakefield.

Battersea reached out to the charity to see if it would be interested in taking on one of their pups, on the suggestion of Battersea chief executive Pat Stafford, who is also chair of Assistance Dogs UK, the umbrella organisation of which Support Dogs is a member.

Support Dogs chief executive Rita Howson added: “Pat was keen to connect us when she found out we worked with rescue dogs.

“We’re thrilled to have this partnership with Battersea and we are hoping Emmet goes on to do wonderful things. We can’t wait to watch his progress.”

Lucy Carter, animal partnerships officer at Battersea, said: “Emmet was part of a litter of Labrador Retrievers who were born at our London centre and during his time in Battersea’s care, he proved to be a very intelligent young dog who loved to keep his brain busy.

“As Battersea’s staff got to know Emmet’s personality traits and needs through his training and assessments, it was clear that he would be a good match for SupportDogs. It is incredibly rewarding to know that through our partnership, he could go on to help change someone’s life and we look forward to seeing how he progresses on his training journey.”

To find out more about Support Dogs, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk or call 0114 2617800.