Lions Assistance Dogs: Expanding Their Incredible Impact - Therapy Dog Thursday

Over recent months, we've shared many heart warming stories about Therapy and Assistance Dogs in Australia and the enormous, positive impact they have on the lives of the families they support. One amazing organisation we've featured is Australian Lions Hearing Dogs.

As of this month, they are proud to announce a new name: Lions Assistance Dogs,  and it’s for a very exciting reason!

Over the past five years, the scope of their services has expanded significantly. As a result, they now provide a variety of Assistance Dogs to individuals with different needs — not just Hearing Assistance Dogs.
How amazing is that?!
In addition to training and placing Hearing Assistance Dogs, Lions Assistance Dogs now provide Medical Assistance Dogs and Psychiatric Assistance Dogs — further extending the life-changing support they offer.

What Is a Medical Assistance Dog?

Medical Assistance Dogs are specially trained to alert their human to changes in health or to signal an impending medical episode before it happens. They can also retrieve essential medical equipment in an emergency.
One example is their Diabetic Alert Dogs. These incredible companions can detect changes in their human’s blood glucose levels simply through scent. Thanks to their highly sensitive noses, they can smell fluctuations and alert their human early — potentially preventing dangerous situations.
They’re also trained to:

• Retrieve another family member within the household during emergencies
• Fetch a pre-packed medical kit
• Press an emergency alert button in the home if their human falls or becomes unresponsive

What Is a Psychiatric Assistance Dog?

Developed by Lions Assistance Dogs in 2024, the Psychiatric Assistance Dog program is designed to support Veterans living with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
These dogs are trained to interrupt anxious or anti-social behaviours and help Veterans return to a calmer state. Their tasks may include:

• Placing a paw (or two!) on their human when they notice specific tics or signs of distress
• Retrieving dropped items
• Pressing an emergency button when outside assistance is needed
• Offering continuous companionship and emotional support

​What an incredible difference one of these dogs can make!

It’s no secret — Assistance and Therapy Dogs do incredible work. The support they provide to individuals and families is immeasurable.
But none of this would be possible without the selfless work of the dedicated people and volunteers behind the scenes — those who train and care for these amazing dogs every step of the way.
If you'd like to support the life-changing work of Lions Assistance Dogs, visit their website to learn how you can get involved:

👉 https://lionsassistancedogs.com.au/get-involved/