International Assistance Dog Week 2025

Four Paws. Full Access. Together.

International Assistance Dog Week (IADW) in 2025 runs from Sunday 3 August until Saturday 9 August 2025. Assistance Dogs Australia (ADA) plans to celebrate the amazing impact of Assistance Dogs by running an advocacy campaign, ‘Four Paws. Full Access. Together.’ to educate the community on the rights of Assistance Dogs in Australia.   

We invite you to learn why the public access rights of Assistance Dogs are critical to their success and how we as a community can be more inclusive by respecting and upholding their rights. The rights of a person with an Assistance Dog are protected under Federal Law through the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA 1992). 

Why are public access rights so important?

Public Access rights are the crucial component that allows an Assistance Dog to accompany their handler everywhere. Whilst an Assistance Dog is supportive in a home and or private setting, their ability to provide independence is due to providing support in public settings.  

 For most Assistance Dog recipients, having one is the difference between being able to go into the community alone or not being able to do so. The Assistance Dog’s support from pushing the button at traffic lights, retrieving medicine from their backpack on their wheelchair, opening doors, to alert barking, providing emotional regulation and more, is the reason many can leave their home. 

With the support of an Assistance Dog like Watson, it means the difference between an Autistic child like Max, being able to enjoy a family day out at Luna Park and not being able to leave the house.

“Having Watson be able to come with us is actually makes those trips possible. Without Watson, Max would be too overwhelmed.” — Selena, Max’s mother   

For someone with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it means being able to get back into the community alone, grocery shopping, coffee at the local cafe and everyday activities others might take for granted.

“I’ve seen a veteran be kicked out of a hotel with his Assistance Dog on Anzac Day of all days, it’s just not good enough.” —John PTSD Assistance Dog recipient.    

Individuals who experience physical limitations due to their disability can navigate public spaces without a carer and rely on their Assistance dog for support to be able retrieve dropped items, push traffic buttons and much more! 

“The less I have to ask for things the more normal my life feels. From picking up a dropped credit card to opening a door, Cossie does it all.” —SJ, Assistance Dog recipient 

Without the protection of public access rights Assistance Dogs wouldn’t be able to provide independence and help Australians in the community. By getting out and about in the community it fosters connection and inclusion, experiences those with an Assistance Dog wouldn’t otherwise be able to have.

This International Assistance Dog Week to highlight the importance of public access rights and the barriers they break down for people with disability ADA wants to show off some of the fun and wacky places our Assistance Dogs support their handlers.  

Luna Park

Team Max and Watson enjoyed a fun day out at Luna Park! Watson enjoyed his first ever ride on the carousel. Max is 16, with autism and has always struggled to regulate his emotions, which made leaving the house for anything difficult, let alone a busy day out at an amusement park.  

The Archibald Art Exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW

Team Young and Nexo had an entertaining day wandering through the Art Gallery of NSW for the Archibald Exhibition. Diagnosed with PTSD, Young struggled with overwhelming public settings, but with his Assistance Dog Nexo, he can confidently get out and about in the community to not only do independently do tasks but enjoy fun adventures like the gallery.  

Scenic World

Team SJ and Cossie basked in the sunshine on a day out to Scenic World in the Blue Mountains. SJ is a quadriplegic and relies on Cossie her Assistance Dog for physical assistance every day. Thanks to Cossie, a trip to Scenic World is possible, knowing she is there to open doors or even pick up a dropped credit card so that SJ doesn’t have to rely on family and friends to be able to leave the house.  

Catching a cab for a day by the water

Team John and Yoda soaked up some vitamin D in the salty air on a nice morning by the lagoon at Narrabeen. John has PTSD and can’t always rely on family and friends to drive him around. Thankfully, his Assistance Dog Yoda is allowed in a cab and this allows them to get out and about independently.  

To read the Assistance Dogs International global survey on Assistance Dogs Rights, click this link: Paws for Access.

Want to know how you can further support Assistance Dogs Australia?