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Milly and Onyx's story of success
milly and onyx
Milly and Onyx.
An assistance dog has changed the life of 10-year-old Milly, who suffers from a rare congenital disorder

Milly Allen was just one-year-old when she was diagnosed with Glycosylation type la, a rare congenital disorder affecting just over 800 people worldwide.

Now 10 years old, she has weak muscle tone and loose joints, is unable to fully control her body or walk independently and has difficulties with speech.

Milly’s mother Katie first met an assistance dog with its owner in a local supermarket, which inspired her to contact Dogs For the Disabled. In 2013, Onyx arrived and Milly’s life changed forever.

Milly's physical difficulties meant that she struggled in mainstream school. She now attends a special school, where she has access to speech and physiotherapy. Her experience there has been positive, but nothing has had such an amazing impact as the arrival of Onyx.

“Onyx is my special friend and helper, she’s always there for me,” says Milly. “She meets me off the bus from school and I’m never lonely any more. When I’m out with Onyx everyone wants to talk to me and find out more about what she does for me.”
 
Onyx is constantly at Milly's side, even sleeping next to her bed. She picks up anything Milly drops, responds to pointing by fetching shoes or clothes, and helps her take off her socks, jacket and gloves.
 
As Milly grows older she will spend more time in her wheelchair and Onyx’s ability to open doors and drawers and press access buttons means that Milly will gain increasing independence as she becomes an adult.
 
Katie says: “Onyx is an affectionate softie and, off duty, has her silly moments. She loves playing with Alfie (Milly’s six-year-old brother) in the garden. She absolutely loves the beach, swimming and paddling and her favourite game is pretending to lose her ball and then finding it.”
 
Image courtesy of Dogs for the Disabled.
 

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
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In a recent statement, the BVA noted that members are reporting more severe clinical signs and higher mortality rates than in previous years.

'We know that farm vets are working hard to support farmers and animals affected by this outbreak, during what is an extremely difficult time for all involved,' they stated. 'Continued vigilance to identify disease early is vital and vaccination remains the best way of protecting animals from this disease.'