STANDARDS AND ETHICS REGARDING ASSISTANCE/SERVICE DOGS

Assistance Dogs International (ADI) also believes that any dog the member organizations trains to become an Assistance Dog has a right to a quality life. Therefore, the ethical use of an Assistance Dog must incorporate the following criteria.

1. An Assistance Dog must be temperamentally screened for
     emotional soundness and working ability.

2. An Assistance Dog must be physically screened for the
     highest degree of good health and physical soundness.

3. An Assistance Dog must be technically and analytically trained
    for maximum control and for the specialized tasks he/she is
    asked to perform.

4. An Assistance Dog must be trained using humane training
    methods providing for the physical and emotional safety of
    the dog.

5. An Assistance Dog must be permitted to learn at his/her own
    individual pace and not be placed in service before reaching
    adequate physical and emotional maturity.

6. An Assistance Dog must be matched to best suit the client's
    needs, abilities and lifestyle.

7. An Assistance Dog must be placed with a client able to interact
    with him/her.

8. An Assistance Dog must be placed with a client able to provide
    for the dog's emotional, physical and financial needs.

9. An Assistance Dog must be placed with a client able to provide
    a stable and secure living environment.

10. An Assistance Dog must be placed with a client who expresses
    a desire for increased independence and/or an improvement in
    the quality of his/her life through the use of an Assistance Dog.

11. An ADI member organization will accept responsibility for its
    dogs in the event of a graduate's death or incapacity to provide
     proper care.

12. An ADI member organization will not train, place, or certify
    dogs with any aggressive behavior. An assistance dog may
     not be trained in a way for guard or protection duty.
     Non-aggressive barking as a trained behavior will be acceptable
     in appropriate situations.

MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ASSISTANCE DOGS IN PUBLIC

These are intended to be minimum standards for all assistance dog programs that are members or provisional members with ADI.  All programs are encouraged to work at levels above the minimums.

The dog will be handled by a person with a disability or a third party directly working with a person with a disability.

1. Public appropriateness

          *Dog is clean, well-groomed and does not have an
            offensive odor.

          *Dog does not urinate or defecate in inappropriate locations.

2. Behavior

          *Dog does not solicit attention, visit or annoy any member
            of the general public.

          *Dog does not disrupt the normal course of business.

          *Dog does not vocalize unnecessarily, i.e. barking, growling
             or whining.

          *Dog shows no aggression towards people or other animals.

          *Dog does not solicit or steal food or other items from the
            general public.

3. Training

          *Dog is specifically trained to perform 3 or more tasks to
            mitigate aspects of the client’s disability.

          *Dog obeys the commands of the client, except in cases of
             intelligent disobedience.

          *Dog works calmly and quietly on harness, leash or other tether.

          *Dog is able to perform its tasks in public.

          *Dog must be able to lie quietly beside the handler without
             blocking aisles, doorways, etc.

          *Dog is trained to urinate and defecate on command.

          *Dog stays within 24" of its handler at all times unless
            the nature of a trained task requires it to be working at a
            greater distance.

STANDARDS AND ETHICS REGARDING CLIENTS

In keeping with our purpose of helping people with disabilities achieve greater independence and improve the quality of their lives, the member organizations of ADI believe the following ethical criteria are essential to ensure that this mandate is reasonably and responsibly met.

1.   Clients have a right to be considered to receive an Assistance
     Dog regardless of race, sex, religion or creed.

2.   Clients have the right to be treated with respect and dignity
     at all times in their dealings with the member organization's
    personnel and representatives.

3.   The client has a right to receive a sound educational program
      to learn how to use his or her Assistance Dog most effectively
      at home and/or in public.

4.   The client has a right to receive appropriate education on his
      or her role as a  user of an  Assistance Dog in the community.

5.   The client has the right to receive regularly scheduled team
     evaluation and follow-up support.

6.   The client has a right to receive information on or ask for
     assistance in the following matters:

            *Additional training for the dog that is needed due to
              a change in the client’s functional level.

            *A behavioral management problem with the dog.

            *A major veterinary problem.

            *Legal problems pertaining to the use and access of
              the Assistance Dog as allowed by law.

7.   The client has the right to expect that personal files will
      remain confidential and will not be disclosed unless he or
      she has given express prior permission.

8.   The community has a right to expect an Assistance Dog to be
      under control at all times and to exhibit no intrusive behavior in
     public, therefore the client has the right be partnered with an
     appropriate dog and taught appropriate handling techniques.

9.   The community has a right to receive information concerning
      ADI Program Standards and Ethics.

10. The community has a right to receive education on the benefits
       received by a person with a  disability through the use of an
       Assistance Dog.

11. No client shall be required to participate in fund raising or public
      relations activities without their expressed and voluntary permission