Autism Dogs Charity support autistic people and their families through our Assistance Dog Programme

We are a team of professionals that are dedicated to improving the lives of autistic people through the love and support of highly-trained Autism Assistance Dogs.

Many of our team are autistic themselves, with the team including a veterinary surgeon, a psychotherapist, a social worker, a specialist medical lawyer, dog trainers, a canine behaviourist, animal care assistants, an aftercare services officer, and many more.

Founders

Autism Dogs Charity was founded...

Trustees

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Directors

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Ambassadors

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As an organisation, we hold the following qualifications:

We are the first and only Assistance Dog Programme holding Autism Accreditation from the NAS (National Autistic Society)

The NAS are the UK’s leading charity for autistic people, and their Autism Accreditation is an autism-specific quality assurance programme for organisations in the UK and around the world.

We have also been awarded an Autism Accreditation Enhanced Practice Commendation in the categories ‘Partnership with Families’ and ‘Furthering Knowledge of Autism’.

We are a member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI)

The ADI is a worldwide coalition of not-for-profit programmes that train and place assistance dogs; ADI establishes and promotes standards of excellence in all areas of assistance dog acquisition, training, and partnership, and is the leading global authority in the Assistance Dogs industry.

We are a member of Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK)

Assistance Dogs UK aims to share knowledge, expertise and skills between its member and candidate organisations, while also promoting the highest standards in assistance dog training and welfare.

We hold a Dog Breeding Establishment licence from Cheshire East Borough Council

We were rated as a 5-star establishment – the high rating an establishment can get. Our licence number is CE/DB12/311224

We have been recognised as a Disability Confident Employer by the DWP

The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how to recruit, retain and develop disabled people.

We are a full member of the aaii (Animal Assisted Intervention International) for animal support services

The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and takThe aaii provides a unique forum of qualified professionals in the sector of ‘animal led human assistance and therapies’ to exchange ideas and best practice within the sector.e action to improve how to recruit, retain and develop disabled people. View certificate

We are a full member of the SCAS (the Society of Companion Animal Studies)

The SCAS are the leading human-companion animal bond organisation in the UK. They provide education, raise awareness, encourage best practice, and influence the development of policies and practices that support the human-companion animal bond.