Plastics Pioneers Charity for
2011-2012
is
Assistance Dogs Australia
http://www.assistancedogs.org.au
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 120 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 300 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.