Nine-year partnership recognised at the Third Sector Awards 2026, marking a second consecutive year of national award success for Veterans With Dogs.
Two organisations founded and based in Devon are celebrating after Veterans With Dogs and Forthglade won the Small Charity Corporate Partnership category at the Third Sector Awards 2026.
The national award recognises the long-standing partnership between Veterans With Dogs, which supports veterans living with mental health challenges through assistance dog partnerships, and Devon-based natural dog food company Forthglade.
Both organisations have their roots firmly in Devon (Veterans With Dogs in Exeter and Forthglade in Okehampton) and for over nine years their relationship has grown into far more than a traditional charity and corporate partnership. Forthglade has supported Veterans With Dogs through the provision of food for its dogs, fundraising, raising awareness and championing the charity’s work and the veterans it supports.
The award marks an exceptional milestone for Veterans With Dogs, with the charity now receiving national recognition at the Third Sector Awards for a second consecutive year. In 2025, Veterans With Dogs was named Small Charity of the Year at the Third Sector Awards, making this year’s recognition of its partnership with Forthglade particularly significant.
Sally Williams, Chair of Trustees at Veterans With Dogs, said:
“We are incredibly proud to share this award with Forthglade. We are two organisations founded and based in Devon, and over nine years we have built a partnership based on shared values, trust and a genuine belief in the difference dogs can make to people’s lives.
“Forthglade’s support has always gone far beyond financial contributions. They have become part of the Veterans With Dogs family, helping us support veterans while ensuring the welfare of our dogs remains at the heart of everything we do.
“Having been named Small Charity of the Year in 2025, to return to the Third Sector Awards this year and see our partnership with Forthglade recognised nationally makes this particularly special. It is wonderful to see a partnership that began here in Devon receiving recognition on a national stage.”
Veterans With Dogs carefully matches veterans living with mental health challenges with assistance dogs and supports them through its specialist Partner Animal Life Skills (PALS) programme.
Rather than simply providing a trained dog, the charity supports the veteran and dog to learn and develop together, building the skills, confidence and bond needed to form a successful assistance dog partnership. Support continues beyond qualification, helping partnerships thrive for the long term.
Jenny Young, CEO of Veterans With Dogs, said:
“For a small charity, having a corporate partner that genuinely believes in your work and stays alongside you for the long term can make an enormous difference.
“Forthglade hasn’t just supported Veterans With Dogs from the sidelines; they have been part of our journey for nine years. Their support enables us to give our puppies and dogs the very best start in life.
“Ultimately, our aim is for these puppies to go on to be carefully matched with veterans living with mental health challenges, who may come to rely on their assistance and companionship every day. Knowing our dogs have had excellent nutrition and care from the very beginning is an important part of preparing them for those life-changing partnerships.”
“This award celebrates what can happen when a charity and business build a genuine partnership around shared values, with the welfare of our dogs and the wellbeing of the veterans we support at the heart of everything we do.”
Patrick Horton, Director at Forthglade, commented:
“It’s fantastic to see our partnership recognised on a national level. Good nutrition plays such an important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of every dog. We’re incredibly proud to help provide these very important puppies with the nourishment they need to grow, learn and thrive as they prepare for the important roles ahead of them.”
The award was presented at the Third Sector Awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London on 11 September 2026.
For Veterans With Dogs, the award comes at an exciting point in the charity’s development, as it builds on more than a decade of supporting the Armed Forces community and looks to reach more veterans through sustainable, responsible growth.
At the heart of that growth remains the same purpose: helping veterans living with mental health challenges rebuild confidence, increase independence and reduce isolation through life-changing assistance dog partnerships.
