Puppy Parents Wanted

Melbourne Dog Lovers: Puppy Parents Wanted

Puppy parents wanted! As an Ambassador of Assistance Dogs Australia, I am always happy to help promote their work and, of course, nothing could be better than promoting puppies! Every Assistance Dog is a wonderful, working companion to a person with physical disabilities but these amazing dogs have to start somewhere. And puppies are puppies!! They need to be raised in a warm, friendly and caring home environment. Could you help raise an Assistance Dog puppy?

Assistance Dogs Australia needs you…

Assistance Dogs Australia’s newest puppy recruit Bella, may look cute and cuddly, but in two years time she will change the life of someone with a physical disability.

Pups like Bella will open the door to a new independence for their future clients, but to do this they need your help. That’s why Assistance Dogs Australia is sniffing out puppy raisers and sitters in Melbourne to be “puppy parents” to the litter of puppies expectant Labrador mum Dee Dee is due to have in the next few weeks.

“Raising a puppy lets you give back to the community with the added bonus of the pitter pattering of puppy paws,” said Assistance Dogs Australia’s K9 Victoria trainer, Dee Moore. “Puppy raisers and sitters will teach these pups to undertake tasks that are difficult or even impossible for people with physical disabilities to achieve. They’ll teach them to pick up all sorts of objects such as mobile phones and keys and make sure they are able to alert bark when required. You can also take the pups to the shops, cafes, on public transport and even to the cinema as it is all these experiences that will help them become an Assistance Dog.”

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The pups will be helped in their quest to be Assistance Dogs by experienced K9 trainer Dee who will be there with raisers and sitters every step of the way during training, providing them with instruction and support for the 14 months the puppies spend on their “L” plates before returning to the National Training Centre in Sydney for Advanced Training. “The best part of being a puppy raiser or sitter is helping to change someone’s life by training a fantastic Assistance Dog,” Dee said. “To see the impact these dogs make on their recipients is priceless.”

So why not be the volunteer who helps these pups succeed in their woof-tastic work?

Think you can help?

For further information about how you can help please call Assistance Dogs Australia on 1800 688 364 or view their website
at www.assistancedogs.org.au. For further media enquiries please contact Amanda Hope on 0401 508 407 or send an email to ahope@assistancedogs.org.au.

About Assistance Dogs

Assistance Dogs Australia is a charity that trains Labradors and Golden Retrievers to give freedom and independence to people with physical disabilities. Assistance Dogs do everyday tasks for their recipients that people with physical disabilities find difficult if not impossible to achieve like opening and closing doors, pressing the button at the traffic lights, retrieving dropped items and even getting the phone. Each dog takes two years to train and is worth an investment of $27,000 but are placed with recipients free of charge.