THERE were plenty of woofs and wags at Simpson Cross Community Hall today (Wednesday).

Supporting People and Pets Through Opportunity and Training (SPPOT) hosted an open day providing people with an opportunity to come along with their pets and find out more about the services on offer.

SPPOT was formed in 2013 by trainer and canine behaviour advisor Kerri Bee. It is a unique social enterprise which seeks to bring together the needs of people with the needs of dogs.

At the heart of SPPOT’s services are training courses for people who have either long term illnesses, disabilities or other disadvantages. They train as dog walkers, home boarders and pet sitters. The courses are intended to benefit dogs and puppies too, by promoting kind, effective methods of training and handling.

There are also plenty of volunteering opportunities at SPPOT, with flexible positions which can be tailored to people’s needs and the time they have available. A list of the current roles is available on the SPPOT website.

Katie White from Letterston has been with SPPOT from the start and is one of the directors.

She said: “SPPOT shows me that I am able to do a proper job and that I don’t have to worry about my disability."

Linda Barker from Haverfordwest is one of SPPOT’s merry band of volunteers.

She said: “I have done 90 odd hours of learning.

“I’ve been with SPPOT for nearly two years and I find it helps me with my autism. If the dogs are calm, I am calm.

“I also love being part of the team. I wouldn’t swap it for anything.”

To find out more about SPPOT, and to vote for it to win £10,000 in the Aviva Community Fund, visit www.sppot.org.uk