By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM residents who love puppies and would like to use their training skills to help improve someone else’s life are being encouraged to sign up as a Puppy Parent.
Assistance Dogs Australia is looking for residents who can offer their time and energy to help raise a puppy that will eventually be used to perform everyday tasks for a person with a physical disability.
The organisation’s K9 Victoria Trainer, Dee Moore, who is from Werribee, said raising an assistance dog was a way of helping others.
“Raising a puppy lets you give back to the community with the added bonus of the pitter pattering of puppy paws,” Ms Moore said.
“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.”
Ms Moore will help future puppy trainers by providing them with instructions and support for the 14 months they 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,” she said.
“To see the impacts these dogs make on their recipients is priceless.”
Each dog takes two years to train and is worth an investment of $27,000 but they are placed with recipients free of charge.
For more information visit www.assistancedogs.org.au
