Assistance Dogs Australia marks 30‑year milestone and calls for public support

Assistance Dogs Australia (ADA) celebrated three decades of providing free, internationally accredited assistance dogs to Australians living with physical disabilities, autism, complex autism, and post‑traumatic stress disorder during International Assistance Dog Week (August 2‑8). CEO Tim Taylor noted that each dog, which costs more than $60,000 to breed, raise, train and accredit, takes about two years from birth to placement and changes the lives of clients, their families, volunteers and staff.

The organisation receives no government funding and relies on donations, raffle tickets, bequests and volunteer puppy‑raisers. It highlighted stories such as Oskar, a boy with autism and Prader‑Willi syndrome, whose seven‑year‑old assistance dog Petey provides daily support, and Brisbane quadriplegic Tim McCallum, who credits three ADA dogs with decades of freedom. ADA aims to increase the number of Australians it supports by 50 % by 2028.

The campaign urges Australians to donate, join the new Puppy Academy, buy raffle tickets or volunteer as puppy raisers to sustain the free‑of‑charge service.