Trainee canine life-saver Howard has a special place in Emmy’s art

The incredible relationship between a schoolgirl and the trainee assistance dog fostered by her family has earned her a top artwork prize.

Emmy Worthy, 11, was crowned Junior Drawing Winner of the Sheffield Young Artists competition, organised by the Rotary Club of Abbeydale.

Her winning masterpiece captured an image of Howard, the trainee support dog Emmy and her family look after as volunteer doggy foster carers for the Sheffield-based Support Dogs charity.

The organisation trains and provides assistance dogs to help autistic children, as well as adults with epilepsy or a physical disability.

Emmy, who won a trophy for herself and a shield for her former primary school, Carterknowle Juniors, and was taken on a tour of the Lord Mayor’s offices, used pastel pencils to create her stunning artwork. It formed part of exhibitions at Sheffield’s Central United Reformed Church, Art in the Gardens at Sheffield Botanical Gardens and the city’s Upper Chapel & Channing Hall.

A delighted Emmy said: “I just like making things look really nice. I’d never used pastels before and because of Howard’s fur it turned out perfectly. I’m so happy I won.”

Her proud mum Ali added: “It was actually the first time she had ever used pastel pencils – she used mine from when I was a child.

“Because of this, my friend then commissioned an artpiece of his dog, she’s done a picture of someone’s dog who passed away and a pastel of a red panda. For a 10-year-old, its amazing – I couldn’t do this at GCSE level.”

Ali, a physiotherapist who also is mum to seven-year-old Iris, described the relationship between Emmy and Howard.

She said: “They are so sweet together – they snuggle up and both the girls love playing with him. She helps us to do all of Howard’s training with him too.”

Emmy, who joined High Storrs Secondary School in September, added: “I love him. I really don’t want him to go, but I understand his special role. He’s amazing.”

Support Dogs does not use kennels – instead, its dogs live with volunteer foster carers when not at the charity’s training centre in Brightside Lane.

Ali, who is married to Matt, an occupational therapist, described why she decided to become a doggy foster carer: “I had a patient who sadly took his own life and he was autistic.

“My colleague was thinking of taking up volunteering as a support dog foster carer and it just really made me think that if this guy had some kind of support dog, he might still have been alive. I just really want to give something back.

“We absolutely adore Howard – we just love having him around. The kids get to have a pet, which we wouldn’t have been able to do, as we work full-time. This gives us the opportunity to love something, knowing he’s going to go on and change someone’s life.”

Rotarian Patrick Smith said: “The standard of work has always been impressive from Sheffield’s schools and has drawn many positive comments from our visitors over the years.

“We are already planning our 2025 exhibition and all schools will be notified, so they can register, shortly.”

To find out more about becoming a doggy foster carer, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk