An innovative project which uses specially-trained dogs to help people living with dementia has launched an urgent fundraising drive to save it from closure.
The Dementia Dog Project places the animals with carefully selected families to provide emotional, practical and social support.
The canines are trained in a variety of tasks, from reminding someone to take their medication, to reducing anxiety and helping people build confidence when outdoors.
The current funding runs out on August 31, which means, although current families with a dementia dog remain unaffected, no further families can benefit.
A 10-week campaign called In The Picture has now been launched in an attempt to raise more than £30,000.
At the moment, 12 families across Scotland benefit from the Dementia Assistance Dog Project, run by Alzheimer Scotland and Dogs for Good.
Henry Rankin, a retired police officer with vascular dementia, and his wife Anne, have been living with Uno since May 2018.
Mrs Rankin said: “Uno gives Henry the purpose to get up in the morning, but he’s not just a benefit to Henry, he’s a benefit to me too. If I’ve had a bad day, we walk for miles and miles, then we come home and face the world together.
“Uno is the best thing that has come into our life. Dementia Dogs are wonderful.”
Henry Simmons, chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, said: “With over 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland, almost every family now knows someone with the illness. As the scale of dementia rises, we need new and innovative approaches to support people to live in their own homes and communities for longer.
“The Dementia Dog project is a fantastic example of collaborative and pioneering working to develop different types of support for people living with dementia and we have been thrilled with its success over the past few years.
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“I am delighted to welcome the In the Picture campaign to help raise urgent funds to give more families the opportunity to benefit from a Dementia Dog in the future.”
To donate to the Dementia Dog project, visit: www.dementiadog.org/inthepicture