The pilot phase for our video-based Public Access Test has ended.
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Together for assistance dog teams
Independent quality assurance and support
About Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs work with their owners to mitigate their disabilities through specially trained assistance. They are a lifelong team and enable their owners to live more mobile, autonomous and often safer lives. In addition to guide dogs for the blind, there are many other types of assistance dogs.
Assistance dog teams are breaking new ground. Their partnership, discipline and care are fascinating – but unfortunately they are often completely on their own.
Teams deserve our support!
We are committed to comprehensive care for qualified teams. Our independent assistance dog team exam is an important milestone on the way to meaningful care. Please subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when our public access test is available again to assistance dog teams.
Join us so that …
- Quality replaces improvisation,
- the path to becoming an assistance dog becomes easier,
- teams are better supported.
More about dog assistance: Pfotenpiloten – DogMap.
Ensuring quality, establishing support structures
✓ Independent, objective test: Our video-based assistance dog team exam is fair and transparent. After a pilot phase of qualifying assistance dog teams in Germany, our public access test is currently on hold. Teams, however, can sign up for the exam here. Doing so secures your spot in the waiting list without a binding commitment.
✓ The goal: comprehensive support: Standards, independent public access test and evaluation improve acceptance and elevate professionalism in the sector. We are currently establishing partnerships and funding structures so that we can provide the best possible support in the future.
✓ Time to end improvisation: Strong standards improve the sector and prevent a blurring of concepts. It is this clarity that will advance the sector and convince the public, decision-makers and funders.
Assistance Dog Foundation is a daughter organization of the German nonprofit organization Pfotenpiloten. We focus on building reliable quality assurance and sustainable support structures.
We do not train assistance dog teams ourselves, but aim to be able to support them in various ways in the near future.
During our extensive work in public outreach – among them a 3-year access campaign for the German Ministry of Social Affairs – we created DogMap.info, an interactive map for (assistance) dog owners to find and mark accessible places. Please download the gratis app and share it with friends, family, and other dog owners. Let’s build a large community in support of assistance dog teams.
Our honorary advisory board
Get to know our Honorary Advisory Board here. Representatives from politics, society, business, research, medicine and animal welfare join us in advocating for assistance dog teams.
And you? Join us!
