A growing number of disabled New Zealanders turn to man’s best friend for support
A growing number of disabled New Zealanders are turning to man’s best friend for support with day-to-day activities many of us take for granted.
One local organisation trying hard to keep up with demand and dramatically improve the lives of individuals with disabilities is the Canterbury branch of Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust (ADNZT).
The charity provides purpose-bred and trained dogs to people with multiple disabilities, including Autism, ADHD, other neurodivergent conditions, and psychological, functional, and physical disabilities.
Their client base ranges in age from six to 72 years old, but ADNZT’s largest client demographic is young people between six and 16 years old.
Chief Executive Logan McMullen says the dogs are not trained to support specific disabilities but they are exposed to several different environments, including supermarkets and malls, matched to a client, and trained to support that client.
“What our team does is match dogs with people to ensure they have the best chance of the most independence they can have, regardless of their particular situation,” says Logan.
“Our puppy-raising programme is the first part of our dogs’ training. The key part of it is basic skills, but the most important part is socialisation to as many environments as possible.”
ADNZT Chair Sinead Horgan has an assistance dog for her son Lachlan, who has Cerebral Palsy and Autism. Sinead first became affiliated with the charity as a client when her family was matched with assistance dog ‘Lady’ but is now Chair of what she calls a “life-saving organisation.”
“My son was about six or seven when Lady came and joined our family,” says Sinead. “She changed our world that day…literally that day.”
As well as absorbing Lachlan’s stress, Sinead says Lady was a constant companion, and previously triggering environments for her son, such as the supermarket and hospital, were more manageable.
“All of those experiences were instantly better because Lady was there,” says Sinead.
ADNZT worked closely with the family for the first couple of weeks, supporting them with the tools and resources needed to bring Lady into their family.
Day-to-day activities, which many of us take for granted, were previously a challenge for Lachlan and his family. Now, they can enjoy outings as a family of four, and Lachlan is less isolated from his community and peers.
“We were probably already visible, but we were really visible with Lady, and it created a confidence in Lachlan that hadn’t been there before,” adds Sinead.
“It is a visible sign for what is sometimes an invisible disability.”
Lady has since retired, and Baxter - now fully trained - has joined the family at their home in Sumner. The Labrador Golden Retriever cross is one of 34 working teams in New Zealand, but the organisation is noticing significant growth in demand for its services, with 44 people on their waitlist and more than 600 expressions of interest in applying.
“The demand for our services outstrips our ability to provide,” says Logan.
South Island funder Rātā Foundation has supported ADNZT by contributing to their Christchurch Puppy Development Programme costs. Rātā Chief Executive Leighton Evans says the proof of community need is in the waitlist size.
“While demand for assistance dogs far outweighs the resources currently available, Assistance Dogs New Zealand’s small team of staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to ensure those in need get the right support when they need it, nurturing and training as many dogs as possible to be matched with their clients,” says Leighton.
“Those living with disabilities in New Zealand face significant challenges day-to-day but stories like Lachlan’s shed light on just how life-changing assistance dogs can be, and how they can support individuals, families and whole communities to thrive.”
Twenty-four percent of the population - or 1.1 million people - are disabled, according to the 2013 New Zealand Disability Survey. This number was up four percent from 2001 and is increasing as our population ages.
ADNZT is on a mission to enrich the lives of New Zealanders living with disabilities but they need the public’s help to continue their important work. Logan says one of the key challenges for the organisation is finding enough volunteer puppy raisers in the Canterbury community to be able to get enough dogs through the training programme to meet demand.
Do you want to know more about the work Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust does to support people in New Zealand living with disabilities? Are you interested in volunteering as a puppy raiser? Click here for more information.