Therapy Dog Thursday - Australian Support Dogs

​Australian Support Dogs (ASDOG) train and raise dogs to join homes of those with physical disabilities who require assistance with their day to day tasks.
The process that an ASDOG pup goes through is extensive. They start in a 2 year Puppy Raising Program, then advance to Advanced Training and Team Training Programs. None of this would be possible without the tireless work of their amazing team and volunteers.
Once a dog passes all of their training, they are matched with their new forever human, completely free of charge, to help improve their quality of life and as dogs always do, bring a smile to their face. 

Meet Daniel and his beautiful Assistance Dog, Barnaby. 

After my long stay in hospital, after my accident, I wondered what could be out there to get me through my days where I wouldn’t be bored or have nothing to do. I soon caught the eye of a peer support worker who had an assistance dog!!
I was soon introduced to Barnaby, and we clicked very soon on. It started with him coming out with Ann for some home visits and getting him used to me, then a couple of park visits where we could throw a ball and Barnaby would come back to me and bench on the side of my chair to return the ball. Barnaby helps me by assisting with pushing doors closed or tugs them open with some rope we have placed on the handles. Also when I drop things off my lap he’s first on the scene to retrieve them for me. Barnaby can assist in tugging off of clothes such as my jumper – that’s really handy as I’m always getting stuck.
Since receiving Barnaby we have been shopping together, a couple of restaurants, other outings. We are going camping on the long weekend down the south coast to Lake Conjola and that we are looking forward to.
My famous quote “I would be very wealthy if I received a dollar for every time we are out and someone comments on how beautiful Barnaby is.”
Daniel 

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Want to know more about Australian Support Dogs and the amazing work they do? Visit their website here!

Want to know how you can help? There are several ways you can help and support ASDOG. Did you know that the average assistance dog costs approximately $20 000 to complete its programs? With no government funding, they solely rely on donations to make it possible to continue to raise Assistance Dogs. To find out how you can help with donations to ASDOG, visit here! Donations over $2 are tax deductible. ASDOG is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient.
You can also become a member of ASDOG – for more information on membership, visit HERE.
You can volunteer for ASDOG. Your donated time can be offered in many ways, including raising a pup to offering your expertise or services including graphic design, book keeping, photography and more. If you would like to volunteer – visit HERE.