About Paws For Diabetics Inc.
Paws for Diabetics Inc.
Paws for Diabetics Inc is a charitable non-profit organization of dedicated volunteers and trainers, involved in the training of diabetic alert dogs. We follow our code of ethics and strict guidelines in all aspects of training and accreditation of dogs and handlers.
These dogs are the latest tool in Diabetes management, as they give their owners warning well in advance of an impending hypoglycemic episode and have also been proven to be quicker and more real time accurate than CGM’s. This allows for prompt treatment to avert the episode from happening.
A hypoglycemic attack left untreated can lead to coma and even death, so these dogs are real lifesavers.
A trained alert dog can be of vital support to those who are hypo-unaware, which means that the person has lost the ability to feel the effects of an impending hypoglycemic episode. Also, for those people who may hypo very quickly, the dog’s early alerting support can make a vital difference in the response time. Parents and carers can benefit from the extra assistance in the management and supervision of their T1 children.
Having an assistance dog can provide confidence and companionship for their handler, giving back vital independence and quality of life.
Handlers are given extensive support to train their dog as an assistance dog and we provide accreditation for Public Access once the dog has completed the training requirements. The dogs are assessed annually to maintain the standard of training throughout their working life.
The History of Paws for Diabetics Inc.
Paws for Diabetics Inc. (PFD) was established in 2005 as Australia’s first organization to recognise, support and train diabetes alert dogs. We have grown from a small group of dedicated people to an Australian wide organisation, with members across the country, promoting and supporting the rights of assistance dogs in Australia.
PFD was established as an incorporated organisation through Fair Trading NSW and is registered as an Australian charity. We hold an AGM and general meetings and member participation is encouraged and appreciated. Our financials are audited annually and are available for review at any time. Our Management Committee governs the running of PFD and consists of a majority of people with diabetes or parents, carers or family members of a person with diabetes, so that we do not lose sight of the people we serve or how to do so effectively. Our collective knowledge and experience ensures that we understand the issues facing our members with their health management, training requirements, support and concerns.
We take pride in our ground breaking training programme, developed to meet the needs of many different people and ages, at the same time ensuring that the cost is reasonable and affordable. As we operate on a cost recovery basis, we do not make any profits from our members and we rely on fundraising and donations to assist with the daily running costs of the organisation. Our team of dedicated volunteers and trainers work hard to support and assist our handlers and their families.
How PFD works
Paws for Diabetics Inc. can assist with the training of either a puppy or an older dog who passes the temperament and suitability tests of our assessors. Applicants are encouraged to consider purchasing a puppy from the several breeders we are associated with and allow PFD to be instrumental in the selection of the most suitable candidate. Puppies should be sourced from ethical breeders who do extensive DNA and health tests on their dogs and raise their puppies in homes with appropriate enrichment and developmental stimulation. Breeders need to appreciate the special qualities required of a potential assistance dog and be prepared to support the early training and assessment of their litter. Older, family dogs who show potential as an alert dog and pass the acceptance criteria may also be trained in our programme. Rescue dogs are discouraged unless a full and comprehensive history is available as health and prior experiences can be unknown and may present problems later on.
As there is a lot of time, money and emotion surrounding the training of these dogs, it is vital that you optimize every opportunity to succeed. Even with all the potential being identified, not all dogs are successfully trained to accreditation standard, so it is important to understand that there can be the possibility that your chosen dog may not complete the training programme. The experience and knowledge of the PFD trainers will be essential to the success of your dog and the programme.
Our programme is designed to be accessible via a combination of on-line communication, face to face training with our trainers and your local obedience schools, video conferencing and reporting. It demands dedication and attention to detail and has clear and concise outcomes and expectations to follow. We have a peer support network and mentoring as well as regular training and task chat group opportunities for all members. Specialist training days in the major cities are conducted annually, along with the Public Access Accreditation Testing. All puppies and dogs are trained in the home, by their owners, with PFD’s guidance and support. PFD does not supply dogs trained prior to placement, although short term “boot camp” training opportunities are available if required and are subject to the relevant costs charged by the training facility, as this is outside the normal scope of the PFD training programme.
Puppies and new dogs start the programme as “Learners”, identified with a yellow and black “L plate” on their coats, progressing to “Accredited” when appropriate. Newly accredited dogs are identified with a green and black “P plate” for the first 12 months of accreditation.
