FAQs

PAT Dogs Australia is a registered Charity and not-for-profit organisation accredited with the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission), and we have DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status with the ATO (Australian Taxation Office).

We help people with disabilities procure, train and certify assistance dogs to help mitigate the symptoms of their disability, and we also advocate on their behalf if they ever have any public access issues with one of our certified assistance dogs.

PAT Dogs Australia is also one of the registered Assistance Dogs Training Organisations with the NSW Government via Transport For NSW (TFNSW).You can see our listing here – https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-eligibility-concessions/people-with-disabilities/apply-for-assistance-animal

 

PAT Dogs Australia provides Assistance dogs for a range of disabilities, However, some of our main areas of focus are –

• Mental Health Assistance dogs (such as for people suffering depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD etc)
• Assistance Dogs for people who are Neurodivergent (such as people who have Autism, ADHD etc) &
• Physical Assistance Dogs (such as people with physical disabilities)

We can accommodate assistance dogs for quite a large range of disabilities, however, if you have a specific question about if we can train a dog for your specific circumstances and disability, feel free to reach out and we can see if we have a suitably qualified trainer in your area that is experienced in training an assistance dog for your particular disability.

At PAT dogs Australia, the below the Assistance dogs which we generally do not train.

• Guide or Hearing dogs
• Mobility Assistance Dogs
• Diabetes or Epilepsy Alert Dogs

We do have a number of trainers who are skilled and qualified in the above types of Assistance dogs, but generally our organisation is not set up for training these types of assistance dogs. If you are looking for one of these types of assistance dogs and need a recommendation, feel free to reach out to us.

Assistance Dog is a generic term for a guide, hearing, or other type of assistance dog specifically trained to perform identifiable physical tasks and behaviours that help the disabled person alleviate the effects of their disability. In America they are called service dogs but under Australian law they are called assistance dogs. Because Assistance dogs are considered a medical aid and not just a family pet, they are covered under many legislative laws for public access rights when working with their handler who lives with a disability. Assistance dogs are protected under federal law and can go almost anywhere the disabled handler can go, just same same as if they need to take any other piece of medical equipment with them.

The main laws in Australia which covers Assistance animals is The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA).

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 defines an Assistance Animal as follows –

  (2)  For the purposes of this Act, an assistance animal is a dog or other animal:

                     (a)  accredited under a law of a State or Territory that provides for the accreditation of animals trained to assist a persons with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability; or

                     (b)  accredited by an animal training organisation prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph; or

                     (c)  trained:

                              (i)  to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability; and

                             (ii)  to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place.

Section 9 (2) c  is the most common way for people to certify their dogs under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and as you can see by the definition of an Assistance Animal under the Act,  the animal must be –

• For someone with a disability
• Must be trained to alleviate the effects if the disability
• Must meet the standards of hygiene that is appropriate for an animal in a public place and
• Must meet the standards of behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place.

Under various laws in Australia is it illegal to refuse entry to a disabled person to any building or place that is used or is open to the public (including private establishments) and also all forms of public transport (including but not limited to buses, taxis, trains, trams, aircraft, ferries, rideshare etc)

Unfortunately, there is a lot of incorrect terminology used online and general society in relation to Assistance dogs.  however, it is worth noting that an assistance dog is not an therapy dog, emotional support dog, companion dog, or any other derivative of these and none of these have any legal rights above of beyond your normal pet dog, unlike an Assistance dog.

If you would like more information on this please feel free to reach out to us

Assistance Dogs are trained for up to two years to perform specific tasks to help their handler.

For clients with mental illness or who are Neurodivergent, dogs can help with the following:

 

• Sensory processing
• Deep pressure therapy
• Tactile Stimulation
• Behaviour Interruption
• Alerting to escalating symptoms
• Buffering
• Guiding and Reminding
• Retrieving and Carrying
• Sleeping

Apart from the tangible day-to-day tasks, an Assistance Dog can:

• Assist with the development and improvement of motor skills
• Provide greater freedom and independence
• Reduce the need for a carer
• Improve self-esteem and confidence
• Give love and companionship

PAT Dogs Australia provides Assistance Dogs and their recipients with public access rights in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

Any person who meets the definition of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the disorder, illness or disease must be a diagnosable condition under the DSM- V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition).

This includes things like Autism, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Social Phobia, Panic disorders, Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar, Dysthymia, Substance Use Disorder, eating disorders etc.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) defines disability broadly as:

• total or partial loss of the person’s bodily or mental functions; or
• total or partial loss of a part of the body; or
• the presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness; or
• the presence in the body of organisms capable of causing disease or illness; or
• the malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the person’s body; or
• a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction; or
• a disorder, illness or disease that affects a person’s thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgement or that results in disturbed behaviour;

and includes a disability that:

• presently exists; or
• previously existed but no longer exists; or
• may exist in the future (including because of a genetic predisposition to that disability); or
• is imputed to a person.

To avoid doubt, a disability that is otherwise covered by this definition includes behaviour that is a symptom or manifestation of the disability.

Yes, We can…..

We are happy for someone who has an existing dog, join our training and certification program, however to eventually be accredited, you must meet our stringent standards and pass the Public Access Test with one of our approved assessors.

• PAT (Psychiatric, Assistance & Therapy) Dogs Australia do not train/accredit/register dogs or puppies that are not part of our program, however, we are more than happy for you to join.
• As an accredited organisation PAT Dogs Australia only provide assistance dogs to people who have completed our application process and passed our testing.
• We do offer a recognition of prior learning if you come from another program, however we will assess this on an individual basis.

 

PAT Dogs Australia’s accredited dog and handler teams will have:

– Completed a Public Access Test (PAT) to receive accreditation – this is an annual test.
– A Teal jacket that is clearly marked to include the following:
– Pat Dogs Australia logo
– A handler’s licence, including photo identification

An Emotional Support Animal is not recognised under Australian law and hence has no specialist legal rights outside of that of a normal pet, unlike that of an Assistance dog.

An Emotional Support Animal is an American term which doesn’t apply in Australia. The equivalent in Australia is simply what we call a pet and there is no need for any form of accreditation other than what you do for a normal pet.

PAT Dogs Australia is unable to accredit or register an emotional support dog and anyone offering this service should be view with suspicion. If however, you want your dog to be accredited as a proper Assistance dog that can help alleivate the effects of a disability then please enquiry with us to see how we can help.

The Public Access Test (PAT) is one of the tests that helps establish a minimum standard for an assistance dog’s behaviour in a public area after they have finished training.

It has historically been used by both Australian and International organisations to help assess whether an assistance dog is suitable for public access. However, the design and implementation of the public access test has been changing over the years and can be seen by how private and government organisations have been implementing it.

Irrespective of how an organisation run their Public Access Test (PAT), the important rule to remember is that the dog must be assessed as being at a standard of hygiene and behaviour suitable for a public place.

There is no national register of Assistance Dogs in Australia at this time, However everyone with an Assistance Animal is cover by the federal, Disability Discrimination Act 1992, as such any Dogs trained under the Federal laws are protected and cover in every state of Australia.

Some states do have their own laws and they are as follows –

Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT have programs for accreditation and registration of Assistance Dogs. Please click on the following links for information.
QLD SA WA  ACT

At this time, New South Wales, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Tasmania, do not have a formal system of accreditation or registration offered by local or state government.

For more information on laws and regulations concerning the public access rights of Assistance Dogs, you can check legislation in NSW and Victoria by clicking on the links below.
NSW  VIC

However, please remember that an Assistance Dog which is covered under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, is covered legally all around Australia, irrespective of what any individual state law or regulations require.

The simply answer is Yes, However, depending on whether you need a fully trained dog or are wanting us to help you train your own dog, will depend on the what funding categories you will need in your plan.

Getting Assistance dog funding in your NDIS plan for a fully trained dog is quite hard, However, don’t be dismayed, We have helped may people with their Assistance Dog and NDIS journey.

I would recommend talking to us about whether we need to help you get additional funding added to your existing plan or in many cases, we can actually do it within most peoples existing plan.

Talk to us today about your existing plan and we can explain our innovative programs to help you achieve your goals.

 

After completing a formal dog training qualification such as Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour & Training (ABT), and on the job training with an organisation such as ours or one which is accredited by Assistance Dogs International is required to become an Assistance Dog trainer.

If you’re interested in becoming a training with us, please make contact and we can discuss your options.

Touching is a distraction and can prevent Assistance Dogs from tending to their human partners. Be sensitive to the fact that Assistance Dogs are working and may be in the middle of a command or direction. Please always ask the handler before interacting with an Assistance Dog – whether they are in training or with their recipient. Interaction includes talking to or making sounds at the dog as well as touching it.

Our dogs work for approximately 8-9 years, retiring around the age of 10. At this time we ensure they find a loving ‘forever home’ which can be with the client or the client’s own family or friends’ network.

Training is fun! Our dogs enjoy group classes and one-on-one training while visiting different community environments. Our trainers and handler teams use a number of different methods to elicit and motivate desired behaviours, however, at PAT Dogs Australia, we promote positive reinforcement training.

We can only assist if the dog in question is a PAT Dogs Australia dog. Our dogs wear a Teal assistance dog jacket with PAT Dogs Australia logo clearly displayed on the top. If you would like to report an incident involving one of our dogs, please email the following details to [email protected]

• Your name and phone number
• Location of incident
• Breed of the dog (Labrador, Golden Retriever, Labradoodle, other)
• Description of the dog (eg. the colour of the dog, and any identifying marks etc)
• Name of the dog or handler (if known)

If it is not a PAT Dogs Australia dog, you will need to contact the organisation responsible for accrediting the dog. If it is a case of mistreatment, please contact the RSPCA (or equivalent) in your State or Territory.