This holiday season, we’re seeking Secret Santas to join the ADA pack to make a difference in the lives of those in need by providing more highly trained and accredited Assistance Dogs to Australians with disability. We’re fundraising to get our latest recruits, the Z litter puppies, through their training journey over the next two years and for that, we need your help.  

Assistance Dogs Australia is currently helping over 200 clients across Australia to live more independent and inclusive lives, and we want to increase the impact we make. The journey from a playful pup to a highly trained and accredited Assistance Dog takes well over $60,000 and two years of specialised training, and we can’t do it alone.  

A dog is for life, not just for Christmas – and so are your donations 

For 28 years, the ADA pack has been training dogs at an internationally accredited, industry-leading level to support people with mobility disabilities, post-traumatic stress, children with autism, and students who have additional needs in schools. It’s only with donations like yours that we’re able to turn these pups into the pros they are, providing our clients with enhanced independence and increasing their involvement in the community. This Christmas, your support will greatly influence the work we do. Your donation will go directly towards training and placing Assistance Dogs which will have a life-long impact for clients your Christmas gift truly is the gift that will keep on giving! 

Give the pawfect gift this Christmas – independence 

By donating to our Christmas appeal, you’re helping train future Assistance Dogs who will learn over 50 individual cues, including how to stop PTSD-triggered nightmares, help with day-to-day mobility tasks, and regulating emotions, which will enable us to pair them with individuals who have long awaited their support. When you donate to ADA, these are just some of the things your generous gift goes towards: 

  • Breeding and training dogs to an internationally accredited standard so they can provide clients with life-changing independence and increased wellbeing. 
  • Supplies and toys to support puppy educators to raise the pups in the crucial first 14 months of their lives before they undertake Advanced Training. 
  • A mobility training kit to teach a dog how to support an individual in a wheelchair. 
  • A puppy’s first training vest. 

“Please know that the work you do has honestly saved my life. I don’t think I would still be here without my Assistance Dog.” —ADA client

Two white and one black labrador puppies wearing Assistance Dogs learner vests sitting in front of a Christmas tree with tinsel in front of them.

ADA’s Christmas wish

Our pack work hard to ensure we are pairing clients with Assistance Dogs that can enrich their lives, and we can’t do it without the generosity of people like you. It’s because of these very donations that we are fortunate enough to work from our new training facility in Orchard Hills, which has doubled our capacity to train Assistance Dogs in NSW. 

Our charity continues to grow larger every day, but the change it affects in the lives of those in need of our services is already immeasurable. Please join us this Christmas in supporting our mission to empower connection, inclusion and independence by pairing our highly trained dogs with people who greatly benefit from their daily support.  

Why donate to ADA:

  • Your Christmas gift will make a real, meaningful difference for so many more people (and dogs!). 
  • We’re a registered charity, which means this is a Christmas gift that also gives back to you when it comes time to declare your tax deductions.  
  • Donating online is simple, secure and takes just a few clicks to change people’s lives for the better. Follow this donation link to see how. 

“I can now complete the washing independently as Red places clothes in and out of the washing machine, brings clothes to the air dryer and hands them one by one to me out of the basket.” Penny, ADA client and handler of Assistance Dog, Red.

Smiling woman sitting in wheelchair next to her Assistance Dog lying on the ground beside her.

The demand for Assistance Dogs is higher than ever before. With your committed support we can breed, train and place more Assistance Dogs with Australians in urgent need. Whether it’s grocery shopping on their own, finding employment, making new friends, or reducing support worker hours, Assistance Dogs can bring significant breakthroughs that may have seemed impossible before.

If you’d like to make this holiday season a little brighter for your fellow Aussies, donate to a charity that you can trust and click the link below. Alternatively, you can call our friendly team on 1800 688 364 to donate over the phone. We’re grateful to have you as a member of our pack.    

Merry Christmas from all of us here at Assistance Dogs Australia.