VOLUNTEER WITH US

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Our wonderful volunteers are the backbone of Lions Assistance Dogs. They play an essential role in everything we do – and without them, we simply wouldn’t be able to provide Assistance Dogs to those who need them most.

Whether onsite at our National Training Centre or supporting our puppies and dogs in their homes, we offer a range of meaningful ways to get involved. Volunteers are a vital part of our mission, and every helping hand truly makes a difference.

PUPPY SOCIALISATION PROGRAM

Becoming a Puppy Carer is one of the most vital volunteer programs we offer. Without our puppy carers, our dogs simply would not have the critical socialisation, obedience skills, and manners they need before entering full-time training.

Taking on an eight-week-old puppy for 8–10 months can be challenging, but it’s also an incredibly rewarding way to give back to the community.

Our dedicated Puppy Team will guide you every step of the way, providing foundational training through puppy preschool, fortnightly visits and sessions, and full-time support.

Even if you’d like to dip your toes in and try it out, you can join our short-term or emergency boarding list and host a puppy in your home to see how it fits your lifestyle.

If you live within an hour of our National Training Centre in Verdun, SA, we encourage you to apply!

You can express your interest to join the program at the bottom of this page.

PUPPY SOCIALISATION PROGRAM (SOUTH-EAST SOUTH AUSTRALIA)

Following the success of our Puppy Program around our National Training Centre, and growing interest from those in the South-East of SA, we’re excited to now offer raising a future Assistance Dog based out of Naracoorte.

This expansion allows us to support Puppy Carers within a set hour-radius of Naracoorte, providing more opportunities for people in the region to get involved.

Our dedicated Puppy Team will conduct monthly visits, provide virtual training sessions, and offer full-time support throughout your journey.

You can express your interest to join the program at the bottom of this page.

BED AND BREAKFAST (BnB) PROGRAM

If you live near our National Training Centre and would love to care for a dog—but aren’t ready for the full-time commitment of a puppy – our Bed and Breakfast Program might be perfect for you.

We provide everything you need to care for one of our dogs in training. This program allows the dog to live in a loving home rather than staying on-site full time during their training, and is a great alternative for dogs who may not cope in a kennel environment.

Four days a week, you’ll drop the dog off at our Training Centre in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon—just like school! You’ll provide them with a safe and comfortable home during evenings, weekends, and public holidays for approximately six months; the duration of their training.

It’s a rewarding way to be involved, with plenty of flexibility and full support from our team.

Learn more or express interest in the program at the bottom of this page.

EMERGENCY AND TEMPORARY CARE

If you’re unable to commit to a full-time puppy, we’re always looking for volunteers to provide short-term care.

Life happens—and sometimes our full-time Puppy Carers need a break due to holidays or unexpected emergencies. That’s where short-term carers are crucial to our program, and provide an alternative to the pups joining our kennels too early.

You might care for a puppy for just a few days in an emergency, or for a couple of weeks while the primary carer is away. It’s a flexible and vital way to support our program – every bit helps!

GUARDIAN PROGRAM

Our Guardian Families play a vital role in our breeding program, providing loving, lifelong homes for our cherished breeding dogs. They ensure the dogs are happy, healthy, and well cared for before they have a litter of future Assistance Dog puppies. These families also make the selfless sacrifice of being apart from their dogs for several weeks while the dogs are with us, raising the next generation of life-changing companions.

We provide everything needed for the dog, as well as all Veterinary care and training advice for their duration in the program. Once the dog has retired from the breeding program (after 3 litters or aged 5), the dog is desexed and can continue life with you as a normal pet.

FIRE EVACUATION

During bushfire season, it’s essential that we have a plan in place in case we need to evacuate on a catastrophic fire danger day. Thankfully, we’ve never had to activate this plan – but knowing we have volunteers ready to care for one of our dogs in training at a moment’s notice gives us peace of mind.

If you live down the hill in the city or outside of the Adelaide Hills region, we’d love to add your name to our emergency care list.

DOG ENRICHMENT

Our most popular type of volunteering is our Kennel Enrichment. Our enrichment yard volunteers visit the centre to provide our dogs with one-on-one enrichment. From giving treats to providing cuddles, these volunteers make sure every dog in training is happy, engaged, and well-socialised.

This program is currently at capacity until the redevelopment of our National Training Centre is completed.

TYPE 1 DIABETIC SALIVA SAMPLES

To train our Diabetic Alert Dogs, we rely on saliva samples from generous individuals living with type 1 diabetes. These volunteers provide samples when their blood glucose levels fall outside the normal range, which are then frozen and stored for use in training. This unique contribution is absolutely essential – without them, we simply cannot train our Diabetic Alert Dogs.

We provide a full saliva collection kit for you to use, and once you have used up all the samples, we will collect these from you to utilise in our training program. This program is only suitable for diabetics who have their condition well-managed and are not risking their health and wellbeing for collections.

ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING AND FUNDRAISING

From time to time, particularly before big events or projects, we occasionally need assistance with small, hands-on tasks to support our Fundraising and Marketing team. While this isn’t a regular volunteer program, it provides valuable help to our admin and fundraising efforts when needed. If you have a skillset you would like to lend to our team, or are interested in an unpaid internship, please contact our team to discuss opportunities.

LIONS CLUBS

Lions Assistance Dogs has been a proud project of Lions Australia from the very beginning. For every Assistance Dog we place, we receive in-person support from the closest local Lions Club as part of a twelve-week follow-up process.

This volunteer program is specifically for Assistance Dogs being placed in designated areas across Australia, and we contact the relevant Lions Clubs individually before each placement.

If you’re part of a Lions Club and would like to support us in other ways, we’d love to chat. Please reach out to info@lionsassistancedogs.com.au to get involved.