A Support Dogs Partnership: Megan and Lyra’s Story
- Emma
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Support Dogs is a national charity dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children and adults with various challenging medical conditions. They provide, train and support specialist assistance dogs to achieve this.
In June 2026, I was so pleased to hear from Tracy Walker, Communications Officer for Support Dogs with the heart warming news of Megan Green and Support Dog Lyra highlighting how, not long after success at Crufts, Megan and her Labrador Lyra have now qualified as a successful Support Dogs disability assistance partnership.
What This Support Dog Partnership Means for Megan
Wheelchair user Megan has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disorder, and POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) which can lead to fainting.
The Support Dogs charity has trained Lyra to ease the strain for Megan with tasks tailored to her needs, including picking up and fetching items, pushing access buttons, loading and emptying the washing machine, helping her to undress and pulling her wheelchair to Megan if it’s out of reach.
As well as competing at Crufts, having Lyra trained has given Megan more confidence, including to go to university and get out and socialise more.
Support Dogs Specialise in three specific programmes creating partnerships built on trust.
Support dogs are trained to provide safety and to facilitate a more independent and socially inclusive life for both the autistic child and their family.
For people with Epilepsy
Support Dogs are trained to provide a 100% reliable, potentially life saving alert up to 1 hour before an epileptic seizure. This enables the client to find safety and be in control over their seizure, allowing a much more independent life.
For people with Physical Disabilities
The client’s own pet dog is trained to perform tasks which are specifically tailored to their individual needs, providing them with greater independence and safety.
Watch Bruce Help with Washing!
🐾 Maise the Seizure Alert Dog and Baby Derek Training! 🐾
Established in 1992, Support Dogs works across England, Scotland and Wales and provides all it services entirely free of charge to those in need of them. However, the charity relies solely on voluntary donations and receives no government funding.
Registered charity number 1088281.
Working with Rescue Dogs
Support Dogs are champions for dogs who need a second chance.
They source many dogs from owners who sadly are needing to rehome their dog because of unforeseen circumstances or from rescue centres and council pounds.
🐾 There are many dogs out there that have huge potential to become support dogs.
Puppy Roundup will take you through the entire journey of a support dog from being a puppy through to retirement, watch episode 1 and subscribe to Support Dogs to see more dogs in action!
Founder members of ADUK
Support Dogs are one of the founder members of Assistance Dogs UK.
ADUK provides a kite mark of excellence in assistance dog training.
All ADUK dogs adhere to the highest training and welfare standards as set out by Assistance Dogs International and the International Guide Dogs Federation.
Stories such as Megan and Lyra's are just a snapshot of the work and therapeutic partnerships created by Support Dogs.
Read more stories like this -
Jeff, was trained as a disability assistance dog to support Emma with her life-long condition of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and later heart failure. Emma says she feels like she’s living again.
She has Ehlers Danlos syndrome, which gives her skeletal instability.
“Now when I’m walking with him, it’s as if my brain feels as though there’s an extra body part on the ground, and it’s re-opened up my sensory and motor pathways.
“I can hold onto Rafa and he stops me from falling.”
Support Dogs can be found on social platforms:
Support Dogs can be found on more social platforms:
💫 Submit a Story
Use this form to send an inspiring story, ask a question, or simply recommend a product or service that helps ease some of your EDS related and disability symptoms.
Reason for Contact
Cute Finds and Useful Links
Amazon Books ⬇️
Lili Chin is an illustrator whose dog and cat behaviour illustrations have been used by compassionate animal trainers, behaviourists, educators, and welfare advocates around the world.
🐾 The Book of Purrs, Luis Coelho, is a Portuguese illustrator and comic artist, who studied painting and illustration in Barcelona, Spain. His work has been showcased in exhibitions around the world and in New York Times magazine.
Research and Further Reading
There is growing interest in the connection between assistance dogs emotional wellbeing, stress reduction, and quality of life.
🧾 read more
🧾 read more
🧾 read more
🧾 read more
About me :-)
I enjoy creating colourful health and wellbeing pages, adding useful links and ideas as I find them.
Linktr.ee/Hypermobility brings together Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and hypermobility information, alongside creativity, general wellness and small things that can help people feel a bit better.
There is a Research Feed, on my EDSease website with some of the latest EDS research from PubMed.
I’ve always found journalling helpful for wellbeing, so I’ll be adding creative wellbeing gift sets on Etsy soon.
Emma x
Affiliate Note:
Some links may be affiliate links, including Amazon and Awin links. I may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my websites, blog content and creative projects.
Final thoughts 💭
Megan and Lyra’s story is not just about a clever dog learning useful tasks, although Lyra can clearly do plenty. It is about what those tasks make possible. Fetching items, helping with washing, pressing access buttons, helping Megan undress, or pulling her wheelchair closer are not small things when daily life takes more planning, energy and recovery.
What stays with me is that Megan had already had to step away from university once because of changes in her health, and had missed the animal connection she once had through horse-riding. Lyra seems to have brought some of that back, but in a new way. From obedience classes and Crufts to becoming a qualified Support Dogs partnership, their story shows how the right support can help someone feel more able to study, socialise, go out, and begin to live a little more on their own terms again.
To learn more about Support Dogs and the work they do with disability assistance dogs, autism assistance dogs and seizure alert dogs, visit Support Dogs.
You may also find further information through Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, PoTS UK and Assistance Dogs UK.
