They say a dog is a man’s best friend. But for Wendy Morrell her golden retriever Udo is literally her lifeline to the outside world.

For Wendy, who lives in Broadstone, was diagnosed with chronic regional pain syndrome in her 20s. Then in 1989, when training to compete at the Barcelona Olympic games, she was struck on the head by a discus in a tragic accident causing severe brain, facial and neck injuries.

During the many months of rehabilitation that followed Wendy became increasingly house-bound.

But a TV programme about the work of Dogs for the Disabled made her realise that an assistance dog could provide her with some of the independence she craved and she was matched with a golden retriever called Caesar who became her constant companion.

“Before I had Caesar, I didn’t have the confidence to go anywhere on my own, but we explored life together. I literally didn’t go anywhere without him unless it was somewhere unsafe for him,” she says.

When Caesar died suddenly many years later, Wendy was devastated and feared she would lose the independence she had fought so hard to regain.

“It was very tough because inevitably when anyone saw me without a dog the first thing they would ask is, ‘Where’s Caesar?”

Wendy had to wait 13 months before she was paired with her second assistance dog Udo on February 14 in 2011.

“He was the best Valentine’s present I could have had.

“It was tricky getting used to a new assistance dog at first because Udo is a very different character, and it was difficult for Udo because he had to start where Caesar had left off.

“But now I can’t imagine life without him. Everything he does, he does with gusto.

“Not only does he help with practical tasks such as switching the lights off and on, emptying the washing machine, fetching the telephone and helping me to get dressed and undressed, but more importantly, he gives me a reason to get up in the mornings.

“You can easily lose your motivation and end up lying in bed all morning, but if you have a dog you have to get up and feed him and take him for a walk.”

Wendy says that people’s attitudes are different too when you have an assistance dog by your side.

“If I go out on my own you can be quite invisible. But a dog is a good buffer – people talk to you more.”

Over the years, Wendy has become instrumental in highlighting the work of Dogs for the Disabled, travelling the world campaigning on access rights and inclusion for assistance dogs users.

She also advised the London Olympic Organising Committee on the requirements of people travelling to The Games with assistance dogs and in 2012 had the honour of carrying the Olympic torch. Now Wendy is keen not only to highlight the vital roles that registered assistance dogs play, but to raise awareness of dogs that are not properly trained assistance dogs.

“More and more people are putting jackets on pet dogs and passing them off as assistance dogs which can cause many problems as they don’t have the correct training or proper healthcare checks.

“All assistance dogs will have the logo – Assistance Dogs UK.”

Wendy sums up: “Without Dogs for the Disabled my life would be very different and I would never have had the confidence to achieve so much.”

To find out more information, visit the charity’s website at dogsforthedisabled.org.