MEET NICOLE DUGGAN, she’s the mother of a wonderful little boy named Riley, and his life has been transformed with the help of a charity named My Canine Companion.

Riley is on the autism spectrum and in 2017 he was paired with Willow, a service dog who has become his constant companion meaning Riley has greater independence and a friend by his side 24/7.

My Canine Companion trains service dogs to support children with autism. The dogs are trained to perform loads of different tasks, from preventing a child from wandering off or bolting through attachment, to providing comfort during periods of distress, to alerting the family to potential danger.

Each dog costs €10,000 to train and as My Canine Companion is not government funded, it is always on the lookout for donations so they can continue to provide the children of Ireland with a companion. Which is why Currys have continued their sponsorship of My Canine Companion for a second year and made some big commitments along the way.

Currys have already raised funds to train 14 dogs, a significant achievement that shows the company’s dedication to supporting My Canine Companion’s mission. But they’ve also pledged to raise money for 17 dogs in total, one for every one of the 16 Currys stores in the country. The 17th dog represents its online presence.

As part of their commitment to making their stores more accessible, Currys have also introduced a ‘Quiet Hour’ initiative in their stores from Monday to Friday until 11am each day. The ‘Quiet Hour’ initiative means that neurodiverse customers can enjoy their Currys shopping experience with reduced noise, dimmed lights and no flashing screens.

If you want to add your support to My Canine Companion, you can donate at any Currys store or online here.