INPLACE CARE -
October 29, 2020

Assistance Dogs – more than a best friend

“An assistance animal (dog) is trained support designed to facilitate the participation of people with disability in accessing various aspects of personal and public life. They are sometimes mistaken as a pet but provide an essential function for some people with a disability”.

– Source

Assistance dogs provide this support to Australians with a range of physical disabilities or mental health disorders. The potential benefits of an assistance dog are many & varied, including social, emotional, physical & financial.

For people with physical disabilities, dogs are able to assist with a variety of tasks, including:

Picking up dropped items
Opening/closing doors
Pulling washing out of the machine (front loaders only)
Retrieving the phone
Alert bark if their owner falls out of their wheelchair or is in danger
Press the buttons at the traffic lights and lifts
Accompany their owner on public transport
Emergency bark
Help carry or pick up shopping items

“A Physical Disability Service Dog has full public access rights meaning they are allowed in any public place and on all public transport. It is illegal to refuse entry to a Service Dog. The only exceptions are zoos, aquariums, sterile environments, food preparation areas and quarantine areas.”

– Source

Whilst the practical assistance these dogs can offer can be incredibly valuable, one can never underestimate the power & benefit of just the relationship between the person & the dog. For many, the joy of just sitting with your dog with their head in your lap is enough!

InPlace Care is a professional care centre with compassionate and educated carers (and many dog lovers). To get an overview of the services we can provide to support all clients, have a look at the wide range of services.