Perfect Partners Assistance Dogs Trust provides and trains Disability Assist Dogs to enable people with disabilities to enhance their quality of life using the human/animal bond. The relationship between Disability Assist Dog and owner helps to overcome physical, emotional and social challenges.
Perfect Partners Assistance Dogs Trust provides and trains Disability Assist Dogs to enable people with disabilities to enhance their quality of life using the human/animal bond. The relationship between Disability Assist Dog and owner helps to overcome physical, emotional and social challenges.
Perfect Partners Assistance Dogs Trust
The Perfect Partners Assistance Dogs Trust is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2007 to select and train disability assist dogs to provide support and companionship for people with a range of medically diagnosed disabilities.
The Perfect Partners Assistance Dogs Trust is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2007 to select and train disability assist dogs to provide support and companionship for people with a range of medically diagnosed disabilities.
In New Zealand, disability assist dog is the legal term for assistance dogs and service dogs, and the term only applies to dogs trained by the organisations listed in the Dog Control Act 1996 and subsequent amendments.
Perfect Partners began because there was a gap in the provision of disability assist dogs in New Zealand. The vision was to create an organisation to provide trained dogs, with a focus on helping individuals not supported by the disability assist dog organisations that existed in 2007, being:
- Hearing Dogs for Deaf People New Zealand
- Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust
- New Zealand Epilepsy Assist Dogs Trust
- Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
- Top Dog Companion Trust (now defunct)
Perfect Partners is committed to promoting the use of disability assist dogs to health care professionals, disability-related organisations and community groups. The organisation also has a strong commitment to ongoing education, and the promotion of responsible pet ownership.
Public Access
The term public access, describes the right for a disability assist dog and their handler to enter areas where a dog is usually prohibited. Access includes areas such as public transport, restaurants, malls, and health care facilities.
On December 23rd, 2010 the Dog Control (Certifying Organisations for Disability Assist Dogs) Order 2010 came into effect. The Order provides the ability to certify dogs for public access, as well as providing public access for training purposes to dogs under the:
Training
Perfect Partners follows local and international standards for welfare and training established by:
- Animal Welfare (Dogs) Code of Welfare 2010
- Assistance Dogs International Inc. (ADI)
- International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP)
Initially Perfect Partners will focus on training disability assist dogs for:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Neurological disabilities
- Psychiatric disabilities
- Seizure Alert
- Seizure Response
