OUR HISTORY
OVER 40 YEARS OF LIONS ASSISTANCE DOGS
Lions Assistance Dogs began in 1980 under the name Lions Hearing Dogs. The concept of starting the program in Australia originally began with two Lions, Past District Governors Brian Carter and Bob Allen. The two visionaries attended an International Lions Convention in the US, during which they’d seen a demonstration from the very first Hearing Dog program in Denver, Colorado. The concept of program in Australia was approved in 1980, where the Lions Clubs of Australia and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) voted to fund the launch of ALHD at the Canberra Multiple District Convention. With funds raised by Clubs across Australia and LCIF, our Training Centre in Verdun was purchased and a trainer, Gale Gold, from the program in the US was brought out for two years to establish the program.
For over 40 years, we have been committed to providing a valuable service to many Australians in need. We have always offered our services free of charge to recipients who require an Assistance Dog, something that will continue well into our future.
Over our many years of service we have expanded and reached new heights, with milestones including the delivery of our 700th Hearing Assistance Dog, Yannis, the launch of two additional Assistance Dog programs, the continued growth of our volunteer programs, the addition of our breeding program, and more.
Below, you can read through some of our key points in history and major achievements and milestones that have shaped us into the organisation and service provider we are today.
