Tiffany and Duke

“Duke has enabled us to safely visit places we couldn't go before. Thank you to everyone who helped bring Duke into our family.” - Gretchen, Tiffany's mum

Fourteen-year-old Tiffany is full of life. Teachers describe her as “spirited,” a word that captures her mischievous, whirlwind personality. Tiffany’s mum, Gretchen, says she adds the 'bounce' to family life - but her adventurous nature comes with big challenges.

Tiffany has Down syndrome and is an impulsive thrill-seeker. Keeping her safe in public is a constant concern for her parents. “Before Duke, we often couldn’t go to shops, restaurants or festivals. Even a doctor appointment required both parents, just in case she ran off,” says Gretchen.

For years, their first Assistance Dog, Caz, kept Tiffany safe in public through the use of a tether - a belt which connected Tiffany to Caz’s harness. But when Caz retired in 2023, their world turned upside down.

Without Caz, Tiffany's family no longer felt safe venturing out into the community, and their world suddenly became much smaller. Gretchen says, “We were thrown back into the old days when our family was very limited about where we could go and what we could do." It was nothing short of a nightmare for this family, and the strain was beginning to take a serious toll on the wellbeing of their whānau. 

But thankfully, because of generous of people like you, earlier this year Tiffany's family received some life-changing news: a new match was ready for Tiffany - a young, strong Labrador named Duke, specially trained to meet Tiffany’s needs and keep her safe in public. 

"When we heard we'd been matched with Duke we were so relieved! We tried to prepare Tiffany and tell her Duke was going to be her dog, but only time would tell if she would bond with him", Gretchen said.

Those worries vanished the moment Duke arrived at their home. Gretchen says, “He was joyful, bouncy and inquisitive. And Duke was BIG - he had to be if he was going to be an anchor for our Tiffany.”

“Tiffany was enamoured with Duke, and Duke liked her too. This has now grown into a mutual, loving obsession,” says Gretchen. 

On their very first day together, ADNZT trainer, Hannah, showed the family how Duke could help calm Tiffany down by providing deep pressure - something he had been specially trained for to help Tiffany.

“Much to my surprise, Tiffany happily sat on the floor and allowed Duke to lay across her legs, and they both sat there, calm. The next thing that happened will go down in history as part of our family lore: Tiffany, who rarely speaks to those she doesn’t know well, said, ‘Thank you, Duke.’”

From that day forward, Duke's two years of training - and the many people who contributed to it - began transforming their lives. Duke now accompanies Tiffany to doctor appointments and family outings - keeping her safe and anchored.

But that’s not all - Duke is also trained to help Tiffany stay calm. If she begins to feel upset, he can give her a gentle nudge, drawing her attention back to him - her steady, calming best friend - and helping to prevent a full-blown meltdown. Something incredibly helpful to Tiffany's parents, making day to day life easier. Everyday activities that once felt impossible are now a joy. Gretchen says, "Duke and Tiffany's bond has really benefited the whole family."

Thanks to our generous supporters, Tiffany's family's world has expanded, once again, and they're now full of hope for the future, with Assistance Dog, Duke, by their side. 

To support more families like Tiffany's, please consider making a donation today. Thank you 💙