A DISABLED woman has told how her life has been significantly improved with the help of her faithful companion.

Elizabeth Blackman, 62, from Darlington, has found a new sense of independence since being partnered with her assistance dog, Ned.

“I have always had a dog, but, because I have multiple sclerosis, I knew I couldn’t train one,” she said.

The pairing of assistance dogs with their beneficiary is down to the work of Dogs for the Disabled.

Ms Blackman was put in contact with the charity through a friend and has nothing but praise for them.

She was unable to travel to Wakefield to collect Ned in 2010, due to snow, so the charity brought the dog to her.

Staff then spent the following weeks working with Ms Blackman and Ned, a retriever and Labrador cross-breed, to ensure theirs was successful partnership.

She said: “We’re a real team now.”

The dogs help their owners in everyday tasks that they find difficult, such as collecting the post, loading and unloading the washing machine, opening and closing doors, and much more.

They also provide a calming focus for children with autism.

The charity also modified Ms Blackman’s home, so it better suited the needs of her and Ned.

Since its conception, the charity has created 575 partnerships, 260 of which they still support.

Each partnership cost more than £19,000 throughout its duration.

Ms Blackman recently accepted a £3,000 cheque on behalf of the charity, from Barnard Castle-based healthcare company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

It was a proud moment for Ms Blackman, because they do wonderful work, she said.

The donation was given as part of a GSK award won by Steve Troman, one of the directors of the company.

Mr Troman was moved by a documentary showing the life-changing benefits these dogs gave to their owners.

He said: “The things these dogs can do are very impressive.

Any dog is a great companion, but when you see a Dog for the Disabled partnered with someone living with a disability the difference to their quality of life is tremendous.”

The charity is reliant on voluntary donations in order to carry out its work. For details, visit dogsforthedisabled.org