For providers only – Assistance Dogs

BH01 to BH05 [refer to RAP Schedule]

Assistance dogs fall within the definition of 'assistance animal' in section 9 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and which meet the standards set out by Assistance Dogs International (ADI).

These dogs are individually trained in obedience, can perform at least three defined tasks that mitigate the veteran’s (the handler’s) impairment and can pass a Public Access Test (PAT).

The PAT is the minimum standard an assistance dog must meet to be considered safe and effective in accessing public places, public passenger vehicles and places of accommodation.  It also confirms the client, as the primary dog handler is able to physically control their assistance dog.

DVA funds four types of assistance dogs for eligible clients. The dogs are individually trained to perform work or tasks directly related to the veteran’s disability and they must be prescribed by the treating health provider.

Psychiatric Assistance Dog– trained to perform tasks which contribute to the clinical recovery goals of their handler. This could include detecting signs of distress and performing tasks to help alleviate those symptoms. For example, waking the handler if they are experiencing a night terror, or nuzzling the handler to distract them from emotionally disabling symptoms.

Guide Dog - trained to assist a blind or visually impaired person’s mobility and independent living. These dogs are trained to travel on public transport and support the recipient in public settings.

Hearing Dog - trained to assist hearing impaired individuals by alerting them to environmental sounds such as alarm clocks, kitchen timers, presence of other persons, smoke and fire alarms and approaching vehicles. Hearing dogs are trained to make physical contact and lead their deaf partners to the source of the sound.

Mobility/Service Dog - trained to help persons with mobility impairment to achieve an optimal level of functional independence in activities and enhance participation in society. These dogs are trained to perform multiple tasks such as retrieving items, activating switches, opening and closing doors. They do not replace a carer but may reduce caring needs significantly and are trained to support the recipient in their home and the community.

Please Note:

• DVA does not supply companion or emotional support dogs.  Assistance dogs are trained to perform work or tasks directly related to the veteran’s disability, while companion or emotional support dogs provide comfort and coping assistance to an individual.
• Clients are only permitted to have one assistance dog at a time, including assistance dogs privately sourced through other programs.
• Dog breeds trained to be assistance dogs are mainly Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Labradoodles. While dog suppliers may match and train other dog breeds to meet the specific clinical and lifestyle needs of clients, there are certain breeds that are not suitable to be assistance dogs.
• DVA contracted dog suppliers will not train a client’s dog under the DVA Program.
• DVA does not fund home modifications to enable a client to be suitable for an assistance dog e.g. repair or replace property fences.
• DVA does not reimburse any expenses incurred by DVA clients for sourcing or training an assistance dog privately outside DVA arrangements.

To be eligible to receive an assistance dog under DVA arrangements, the client must be a veteran with an assessed clinical need, and have a:

• Veteran Gold card; or
• Veteran White card

Clients also need to be assessed as clinically stable and suitable for the supply of an assistance dog.

Stability and suitability for the purpose of an assistance dog, requires the client to demonstrate the following:

• living arrangements, the ability and support networks on hand to properly care for the dog
• emotional resilience and ability to undertake intensive training and meet the ongoing exercise needs of the dog
• no history of domestic violence or history of animal abuse, this includes all members of the household;
• no admissions to hospital for suicide attempt/s or self-harm behaviour in the past 12 months; and
• no misuse of drugs or alcohol in the past 12 months (as far as the prescriber is aware).

Additional criteria

Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs and Mobility/Service Dogs will only be supplied:

• if the veteran’s medically assessed clinical need for the dog is due to their war caused injury or disease/condition.

This applies to both Gold and White Card holders.

Psychiatric Assistance Dogs will only be supplied where the veteran:

• has an accepted condition or diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from a psychiatrist; and
• is undergoing treatment with a psychiatrist or psychologist for PTSD for at least three months.

Aged care home/retirement village/lifestyle park residents - The client or prescriber needs to seek an ‘in principle agreement’ from the operator prior to submitting the application request.

The operator needs to provide a letter (see suggested template) stating they:

• understand the assistance dog is provided to the client for therapeutic purposes
• agree to the dog residing with the client in the aged care home/village/lifestyle park
• have the capacity and ability to support an assistance dog within their facility to ensure their welfare is protected
• have facilities that allow for the walking and toileting of the assistance dog; and
• understand that the ‘in principle agreement’ is supporting the client’s request for an assistance dog but in no way guarantees the provision of an assistance dog and that the request still needs to be considered and approved by DVA and the assistance dog supplier.

Clients with privately sourced assistance dogs, including dogs trained partially or fully outside DVA’s Assistance Dog Program. 

DVA does not preclude any eligible client from applying for a DVA supplied assistance dog.  Although, to be eligible to receive an assistance dog through DVA’s arrangements, the client must withdraw from the non-DVA program, surrender or retire the current assistance dog.

Replacing a retiring assistance dog, including DVA on non-DVA supplied dogs 

Assistance dogs normally have a working life of 8 to 11 years.  Dog suppliers will discuss retirement and the option available well in advance. This includes whether the client would like to retain the retired assistance dog, or seek to have the dog re-homed.  If the client does not want to retain the dog, it is the supplier’s responsibility to rehome the dog.

If a client's assistance dog is nearing retirement and they would like to apply for a replacement DVA supplied assistance dog, an application should be submitted around 18 -24 months prior to the proposed retirement.  This will allow enough time for DVA’s suppliers to source and train the replacement assistance dog.

Assistance dogs must be prescribed by a suitable qualified health provider including:

Psychiatric Assistance Dog:

• Psychiatrist (Psychiat)
• Psychologist (Psych)
• Mental Health Occupational Therapist (MH OT)
• Mental Health Social Worker (MH SW).

Guide Dog:

• a Low vision clinic (LVC); or
• appropriate Specialist(S).

Hearing Assistance Dog:

• Audiologist(A)
• Occupational Therapist (OT);
• Audiometrist (AT); or an
• appropriate Specialist(S).

Mobility Assistance Dog:

• Occupational Therapist (OT); and an
• appropriate Specialist(S).

Prior approval is required for the supply of all assistance dogs.

The provision of an assistance dog is subject to the client’s ongoing stability and suitability, including the client’s ongoing willingness to participate in the training program and their ability to ensure the living arrangements and welfare of the dog is maintained.

DVA needs to ensure all assistance dogs are placed into environments that work in the best interests of the client and the dog and that both are safe. DVA will not consider requests that have the potential to put the dog or client at risk.

2 Step prior approval process

Step 1: Conditional approval

Following referral by the clients treating clinician, DVA will assesses the information provided in the application form and supporting documentation to determine if the client will progress to Step 2.

Step 2: In-home assessment 

When a client is provided conditional approval, DVA will refer them to a contracted dog supplier for an in-home suitability assessment to consider:

• if the client is suitable to participate in their training program
• if the home is suitable for an assistance dog; and
• areas where an assistance dog could meet the client’s needs.

This assessment also gives the supplier an opportunity to better understand the client’s needs and clinical goals, so they can design the training program and match a suitable dog.

Assessing health providers should consider:

• how an assistance dog would assist the client in achieving therapeutic goals
• whether the client understands the commitment in training and caring for an assistance dog, or if the client is better suited to a self-funded companion animal
• if the client has accommodation suitable for an assistance dog to be living with them
• if the client’s living arrangements and current life circumstances are conducive to training with and caring for an assistance dog. Do they have a support network on hand; are there presence of stressors such as having a pregnant person, young children, or multiple other animals in their household.
• does the client understand the breeds trained to be assistance dogs are usually a medium size, mainly Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Labradoodles; and
• does the client understand that existing pet dogs cannot be trained under DVA’s Program.

Additionally, psychiatric assistance dogs are provided as an adjunct to treatment for PTSD. As such, clients are strongly encouraged to maintain contact with their mental health professional as this will ensure they are able to address concerns as they arise and achieve their long term recovery goals.

1. The suitably qualified health provider should complete the D9356 - Request for an Assistance Dog Form.
   • Psychiatric Assistance Dog requests only – the health provider should also support the client to complete the  WHODAS located at the end of the D9356. Detailed information on the WHODAS process is located at the bottom of this page.
2. The completed form and required supporting documentation (see checklist in form) should be forwarded to DVA for consideration at assistance.dogs.requests [at] dva.gov.au (assistance[dot]dogs[dot]requests[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au). 
3. Following receipt of the request, DVA will review the application and supporting documentation.
   • If the client is eligible, DVA will write to the prescriber and client to advise of the conditional prior approval.
   • If the client is not eligible, DVA will write to the prescriber to advise the reasons, and ask the client to make an appointment to discuss the decision with their prescriber.
4. Once conditionally approved, DVA will organise for a contracted assistance dog supplier to complete the in-home suitability assessment. 
5. Following this in-home assessment, DVA will either:
   • write to the prescriber and client to advise the application has been approved.
   • write to the prescriber to advise of the reasons the request was found not eligible, and ask the client to make an appointment to discuss the decision with their prescriber.
6. Depending on demand and the client’s requirements, they may be placed on a waiting list.  The dog supplier will remain in contact with the client to keep them informed of the progress of their request.
7. Once a suitable dog becomes available, the dog supplier will contact the client to develop a training schedule for both the dog and the client. It may take up to 24 months before the dog commences living with the client.
8. The dog supplier will ask the client to make a commitment to their training program. The supply of the dog is conditional on compliance with training. The dog supplier will monitor and report to DVA if there are any concerns with attendance and training progress. DVA may set up a case conference to address concerns, if they arise, with the prescriber, client and dog supplier.
9. Following the completion of the training program, the dog and client will need to pass a Public Access Test (PAT). 
10. The dog supplier will continue to support the client and their assistance dog with, annual PAT re-certification, welfare check-ins and if needed, additional training to support any changes in the client or assistance dog’s circumstances.
11. If the client no longer wants, or is no longer able, to have an assistance dog, it is to be returned to the supplier. A supplier may also take back an assistance dog if it believes that the client is no longer able to care for the assistance dog. If there is a problem with the supplied assistance dog, the supplier is expected to replace the dog.
12. When an assistance dog reaches retirement age, clients who wish to obtain a replacement assistance dog through DVA will need to reapply as detailed in this guideline.

Please refer to the attachment checklist at the end of the request form D9356 - Request for an Assistance Dog.  

All supporting documentation should be forwarded with the application form to assistance.dogs.requests [at] dva.gov.au (assistance[dot]dogs[dot]requests[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au).

For more information on the arrangements in place to support clients with a DVA supplied assistance dog, visit: Assistance dogs.

There is no standard system of accreditation for assistance animals that applies throughout Australia

DVA’s contracted assistance dog suppliers only engage suitably qualified trainers as defined under state and territory legislation requirements.  DVA suppliers accredit their dogs under one of the following legislative Acts which allow for the accreditation of an assistance dogs:

QLD – Queensland Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act (2009).
SA – Dog and Cat Managements Act 1995 (SA) (Dog and Cat Act).
WA – Dogs Act 1976 (WA) (Dogs Act)

In states and territories with no local legislation, the Commonwealth law prevails, with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) covering issues such as public access rights.

World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0)

A 12 question WHODAS 2.0 is included as an attachment on the last page of the D9356 - Request for an Assistance Dog Form.  The WHODAS provides a baseline measure to assess level of functioning and will assist in monitoring the outcomes of the Program.  The baseline measure will be administered against future surveys completed by the client after the assistance dog has been supplied.

When preparing the referral form, the prescribing health provider should assist the client complete the WHODAS which will take approximately five (5) minutes to complete.  This completed WHODAS must then be submitted to DVA with the referral form and any other supporting information.

Ongoing WHODAS self assessments

After handover of the assistance dog, the client will be encouraged to complete updated self-assessment of the WHODAS 2.0 to assist in measuring the ongoing outcomes of the program.

A digital link will be emailed to the client at 3, 6, 12 and 24 month milestones, encouraging them to complete a WHODAS assessment online.  De-identified aggregated data will then be collated to provide feedback to DVA on the overall outcomes of the Psychiatric Assistance Dog Program.