What we do

Assistance Dogs Australia obtains, trains and maintains dogs in community settings to assist people with their disabilities, to give them more confidence and to help them achieve a greater level of independence.

The Assistance Dogs are fully trained to international standards and provided to recipients with physical disabilities free of charge. Each Assistance Dog costs the organisation just over $25,000, which covers the two year training period and follow up support.

Assistance Dogs are already making a dramatic difference in the quality of life for individuals with physical disabilities. Not only do they assist them physically, but also these special dogs relieve loneliness and social isolation, helping their owners integrate more with their local communities. This increase in independence allows them to get on with their lives, often attending college, getting employment or just mixing more.

We have currently placed over 90 dogs all around Australia. We have over 50 dogs currently in training, many of which are pups in prison. Assistance Dogs is currently helping over 180 people in Australia.

And an Assistance Dog can save the community significant monies by reducing the attendant care needs of their disabled recipients.

Assistance Dogs Australia has an ambitious training program ahead and has to rely on corporate, community and individual funding to achieve its goals. The charity requires significant funding to achieve its goal of placing at least 30 dogs per year with recipients and needs your help.

 

Our Five Year Plan

Over the next five years the program forecast would initially be to reduce the current waiting list period and place 30 dogs per year for the next three years to all placement categories and expand over the following two years to 50 dogs per year. Therefore, the goal of Assistance Dogs Australia is to raise necessary funds to meet the needs of the projected forecast with placing 190 Assistance Dogs to people in need with physical disabilities. It is planned for the management of the puppy raising and training program to eventually produce 100 trained Assistance Dogs each year. The current waiting list as from May 2009 is 80 applicants.

To achieve the Assistance Dogs Australia’s five-year plan it is imperative for the following:

  • Fundraising arm of the organisation to form partnerships with service clubs, commercial organisations, trusts and high level corporate companies
  • Continue to create a strong public image is a priority for the Charity
  • Place dogs to the recipients every three months
  • Place puppies with puppy raiser volunteers every three months
  • To raise funds in accordance with the placement objectives
  • Continue to place segments of the Charity to print and electronic media
  • Advance the Sponsor a Puppy Program
  • Create more corporate partnerships
  • Continue to create awareness through the pet industry, vet agencies and staff, dog boarding kennels, breeding clubs, dog training clubs/organisation and state canine councils
  • Create awareness and funding through major events in all states
  • Duplicate our successful Pups in Prison Programs
  • Establish more of our highly commended Dogs for the Dole programs
  • Expand our new ‘Reading Labs’ Program

 

Download our Annual Report

Our Board of Directors

rowan mcdonaldRowan McDonald

Rowan McDonald has over 15 years experience in the equity capital markets industry. His previous experience includes working as a senior lawyer at Gilbert & Tobin and Clayton Utz and holding a senior role within the Companies section of Australia Stock Exchange Limited (ASX). Rowan McDonald was elected President of Assistance Dogs Australia in 2005.

 

 

sean broganSean Brogan

Sean joined the board of Assistance Dogs Australia in 2003 and was elected Vice President in 2006. He brings a mix of media and PR skills to Assistance Dogs Australia having worked in broadcast journalism for most of his professional life. Sean’s career began at Channel Nine where he worked on shows such as A Current Affair and 60 Minutes and later as a producer on the Today Show, Today Tonight and Sunrise . Sean left television in 2005 to become a media consultant and now works at the Law Society of NSW.

 

robert biggsRobert Biggs OAM

Bob is a director of Hanrob Pet Care Centre and the Founder of  Assistance Dogs Australia.  Bob’s background is in accounting and marketing has seen this business grow to become the largest dog and cat boarding and training facility in Australia. Bob was re elected Secretary/Treasurer of ADA in 2005. Bob was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2006 for his service to people with disabilities.

 

brent jamesBrent James

Brent James is a corporate finance advisor and investment banker with over 25 years experience.  He is currently Director –Corporate Finance at RSM Bird Cameron and has previously held senior positions with Arthur Andersen, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (Partner in Charge, Corporate Finance), and Ord Minnett Limited (JP Morgan sub) (Director and Co-Head of Corporate Finance). Brent has worked on a variety of transactions with numerous clients in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.  Brent holds a Bachelor of Commerce (University of British Columbia) a Degree from the London Business School and is a Chartered Accountant in both Canada and Australia.

Yvonne Duncan Yvonne Duncan

Yvonne is a Physiotherapist with over 30 years experience working with people with Spinal Cord Injuries and Acquired Brain Injuries. She is currently Education Coordinator at the Independent Living Centre, part of Yooralla in Melbourne, a Physiotherapy Consultant on the Transport Accident Commission’s Clinical Panel and a private physiotherapy practitioner.Victoria’s Medical Panel on Spinal Cord Injuries and the Major Injury Division.

 

Sam HaynesSam Haynes

Sam Graduated from Murdoch University as a Vet in 1996. He did a four month stint with the Flying Vet out of Kununurra in 1987. He began his own practice in 1990. In January 2005 he established Sydney Animals Hospital – Norwest is a large veterinary hospital which operates 7 days a week.

 

 

Andrew Biggs

Andrew was co-founder and CEO of Assistance Dog Australia for 6 years before joining Hanrob as the Managing Director in 2004. Hanrob is a second generation family owned and operated business with 20 years experience in the pet care industry.