Assistance Dogs
We train assistance dogs to provide specialised support for people with mental illness and some physical disabilities.
Individualised and Specialised Support
At Therapy Animals Australia we specialise in tailoring training programs for dogs that best meet your individual needs & circumstances. The dogs we train perform specific tasks that directly assist people with everyday living.
The role of an assistance dog is to provide individualised specialised support for people with specific mental and physical disabilities/illnesses. Therapy Animal Australia dogs undergo intensive training. Once working at the required level, assistance dogs gain public access rights in order to accompany their owner.
We work with you to train your own dog to perform specific tasks that directly assist your everyday needs. An example is dogs may be trained to retrieve medication, get a mobile phone, recognise the signs of the onset of a panic attack and prevent it from escalating or a range of other behaviours as required.
We train assistance dogs for specialised tasks
ASSISTANCE DOGS & ANIMALS
How it Works
SERVICE & ASSISTANCE DOGS
Identification Cards for Dog & Owner
Upon successful completion of your training, you will be issued with an identification card for you and your dog, and an identification vest for your dog.
Therapy Animals Australia accredits assistance dogs in accordance with the Disability and Discrimination Act 1992. As stated by the Disability and Discrimination Act 1992 (Part 1, section 9, subsection 2C), an assistance animal is a dog or other animal that is trained (i) to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability; and (ii) to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place. Furthermore, an assistance animal must be individually trained to do work and perform specific tasks of benefit to a specific individual who has a disability as defined by the Disability and Discrimination Act 1992. It is not unlawful for a person to request the person with the disability to produce evidence that the animal is an assistance animal.