As a result, he will no longer be attending matches at the Etihad Stadium and as a reward for all his amazing work and support over the years, we invited him and his owner Lynn to the Club, to meet Bernardo Silva.
Bernardo Silva, who has his own dogs, John and Charles, sat down with Lynn to discuss her time as a Season Ticket Member with Simba, and find out more about the important role he plays.
Simba has been a Season Ticket Member for the past nine years. As an epilepsy seizure alert dog, he can warn Lynn up to 24 minutes before she is going to have an epileptic fit. This gives Lynn independence and allows her to attend games at the Etihad Stadium.
The Club organised for Lynn to move her Season Ticket to an accessible area of the stadium, where Simba can lie down during the games. In doing so this has allowed Lynn to continue coming to matches and she is able to take herself into a safe area if Simba has alerted her to a seizure.
Lynn said: “I used to be in the Family Stand, but when I got my first epilepsy dog, the Club arranged for me and Simba to be in a better place for Simba to settle. So, he has a wheelchair bay where he is safe and comfortable.”
The pair have seen the Club win a range of trophies so far, following us home and away, with Simba’s very first game being a 3-0 win against Chelsea at home.
Despite Simba’s time as a working assistance dog coming to an end after this season, he will become Lynn’s pet dog in retirement and will be replaced by a new assistance dog, Barnby.
Both dogs have been trained by Support Dogs UK who also train autism assistance dogs and disability assistance dogs.
Although everyone at the Club will miss Simba next season, we hope he enjoys his well-deserved retirement.
For more information on Support Dogs, please visit Support Dogs UK.
