Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs are trained to the highest international standards to provide safety to children in public places. Assistance dogs enable children to go out and about safely and reduce anxiety not just for the child but for the whole family. They can be a lifeline for children and their families when a child is suffering from the sometimes debilitating symptoms of autism.
Companion Dogs
Companion dogs can be a welcome friend to someone who struggles to form relationships with their peers and can help reduce anxiety for children and adults with autism. Whilst they don’t have access rights to public places like the assistance dog, they can provide much needed companionship within the home. They also promote responsibility and encourage a healthy exercise routine.
Our Training Program
It takes 18-24 months to train, assess, qualify, match and place an autism assistance dog with a child. Puppies enter our training programme no later than 8 weeks of age and undergo rigourous socialisation, training and assesments throughout their journey to become a life changing support for a family. Our training programme is supported by volunteer puppy fosterers, a skilled puppy training supervisor and qualified assistance dog instructors.
Sponsor a Puppy
From as little as €3 perweek you can sponsor a puppy in training. As a puppy sponsor you will recieve regular updates enabling you to follow the journey, of your chosen puppy as he goes through our foster care programme, on to intensive training and finally matched with a child on our waiting list and placed as an assistance or companion dog. Your support will help change the world for a child with autism.
