Our Waiting List is OPEN
Jennifer Dowler, Founder & CEO
“We listen, we care and everything we do, we do from our hearts. We are determined to make a positive impact in the lives of those who come to us”
How to Apply
Please read through and complete the Eligibility Application Form below, then press Submit.
Please note that we DO NOT provide Autism Assistance Dogs nor Emotional Support Dogs, as there are already three organisations in Ireland doing so.
Our Application Assessor Teresa will get in touch to let you know if you meet the eligibility criteria to progress to the interview stage at our headquarters in Cork, ahead of being selected to go onto the waiting list to receive one of our highly trained and accredited Assistance Dogs.
If you have any specific questions relating to the form below please contact Teresa at (021) 4316627 or email teresa@dogsfordisabled.ie
Are you are willing to provide a safe, loving environment for your Assistance dog to thrive in?
Are you prepared to travel to Cork for an interview on suitability and then a waiting period?
Are you prepared for your home and office/school environment, including all family members, to be assessed for suitability and safety for a working assistance dog to live with you and attend work/school/college with you?
Are you prepared and able to pay all upkeep, food, veterinary and insurance costs throughout your dogs working life (to age 10yrs) and to end of life if your dog retires with you?
Will you agree to contract terms and understand that the dog remains the property of Dogs for the Disabled for its entire life?
Will you fully participate in training, testing and ongoing check-in visits thoughout your dogs working life?
Finally, do you accept that every dog is a living, breathing, salient being with individual likes, dislikes and preferences and as such should be treated with love, kindness, patience and understanding at all times?
Are you ready to commit?
We have a very strict policy that no money passes hands for any of our dogs, for any specific child or adult. This is to ensure we retain legal ownership of each dog, which enables us to maintain their welfare and also so that our beneficiaries receive their dog based on NEED and not financial status.
However we do ask, post qualification, that the families who receive our dogs get involved in the charity in any way they can, so that another child or adult can benefit from the gift of a life-changing assistance dog like they did.
Important
If your answer to our list of commitments above is YES, then carefully complete and submit the Eligibility Application Form below
