Amanda's paw-some foursome has taken the strain

Amanda Radforth, of Dewsbury, was born with Arthrogryposis, a condition characterized by fixed or “frozen” joints. In Amanda’s case, both her arms and legs are shortened, and she was born with club foot and a cleft palate.

Over the years, the 57-year-old has had multiple operations to help alleviate pain, and everyday tasks proved difficult as she can’t reach or walk far.

But thanks to the Yorkshire-based Support Dogs charity, Amanda has been able to carry on living independently.

She is currently partnered with Gordon, a black Labrador who has been trained by Support Dogs to help Amanda with a range of tasks.

The loveable pooch, who has lived with Amanda since January, is trained to unload the washing machine and tumble drier, help her to put on her shoes, pick up objects and fetch the post.

Gordon follows in the pawprints of Amanda’s three previous life-changing pooches, King Charles Cavaliers Charlie and Kobi and chocolate Lab Dolly, who were also trained by Support Dogs.

Out and about, he even picks up tins and other groceries from shop shelves.

“Life would be very difficult without Gordon,” said Amanda, whose husband of 35 years, Paul, 58, has spina bifida and is a double amputee.

“These dogs have transformed my life. I just ask Gordon to do something – I don’t have to get up or ask someone to do it for me. It’s so much easier and less stressful; it’s not as tiring.”

Amanda first sought help from Support Dogs - which trains and provides assistance dogs to help autistic children, as well as adults with epilepsy or a physical disability to live safer, more independent lives - in 1997,when the charity was just five years old.

She said: “Until you get one, you don’t think of the difference these dogs can make.”

Arthrogryposis is a rare congenital condition, affecting around one in 3,000 births, and it’s a term used to describe over 300 conditions that cause multiple curved joints in areas of the body at birth.

Amanda said she doesn’t remember feeling any different to anyone else, as a child, as she had never known anything else.

However, when she went to a mainstream high school, she was bullied.

As an adult, her condition worsened.

Although operations to correct her feet and cleft palate were a success, another, to help her to move her left arm more, didn’t work. She also suffered leg problems.

“It got to the point where I was really struggling to walk – my legs weren’t working properly,” said Amanda.

“I had Dolly at the time and she did her normal jobs, like picking things up and emptying the washer, but I had to get a friend to walk her for me.”

However, a complex hip operation has made a big difference.

Amanda described her previous beloved support dog, Dolly as “bomb-proof”, while she says Gordon, who has only just graduated as a partnership with Amanda, is “keen to help”.

Her first support dogs were originally pets. Sadly, Charlie was forced to retire at just five (as opposed to 10) due to ill health and he was followed by Kobi. Both were kept on as pets when they retired.

Dolly, who was sourced by Support Dogs after Amanda asked the charity to match her with a bigger dog, sadly died just before her 12th birthday, in 2022.

She applied for her fourth support dog and was matched to Gordon a year later.

To find out more about the work of Support Dogs, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk or call 0114 2617800.