How can I recognise assistance dogs?

State-certified assistance dogs (guide dogs, service dogs and signal dogs) can be recognised easily, as they carry a protected logo on their blankets, harnesses and collars, and are listed on the person's disability pass. This identification logo ensures disabled people and their certified assistance dogs can benefit from special legal rights and regulations.

What about the legal situation?

By law, all assistance dogs have been regulated since 01/01/2015 in §39a of the Federal Disability Act (Section Va - Assistance dogs, therapy dogs). There is also an additional directive of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection. Assistance dogs are dogs that support people with disabilities in everyday life, including guide dogs, service dogs and signal dogs. They are also a great help to those affected when it comes to expanding the independence and participation of people with disabilities in all areas of life. There is still a large knowledge gap among many people regarding the fact that these dogs constantly live alongside the person and are allowed to accompany them in places where dogs are normally forbidden. They are also freed from leash and muzzle laws so they can carry out their duties without hindrance. These dogs have a variety of different duties they handle in everyday life.

The duties of assistance dogs are as diverse as the animals themselves

Signal dogs are a great support for severely impaired persons. They can fetch a ringing mobile phone for incoming text messages and draw attention to important noises (alarm clock, doorbell, approaching cyclists from behind). They respond to various physical and psychological signs of their owners. They can take a supportive position beside or behind their owner, or can lead the person out of a perceived threatening situation, assist wheelchair users, open and close doors and/or shops, pick up dropped objects and, of course, also press lift and emergency buttons. 

High cost and high risk

The path to getting an assistance dog is long. That is aside from the fact that you have to find a puppy that gives the impression it could make a good assistance dog. The legally prescribed health examinations can be carried out at the earliest at 12 or 15 months of age. It is only after that point that you know whether the animal meets the strict but absolutely necessary criteria to be admitted at the age of 18 months to the quality and subsequent team examination by the state inspection agency for assistance dogs at the Messerli Research Institute at the Veterinary University of Vienna. All of this is of course associated with costs that you are not refunded if the dog does not meet the criteria. Some trainers try to find sponsoring families to raise and socialise these dogs until they are 1 year old. If third-party training is used, the trainer always bears the entire risk if the dog is not suitable, and if the dog is self-trained, the owner bears the risk. “In principle, the high prices are justified because of these risky stages; the trainer also should and needs to earn a livelihood,” said Ms DI Gloria Petrovics. Guide dogs can cost up to € 38,000, service and signal dogs up to € 25,000. It always depends heavily on whether you have the opportunity to train the dog yourself or it has to be trained completely or partially by a third party. The state certified assistance dogs are financed in part by public authorities, but the open residual costs of course have to be financed through the owner's own funds and donations.

“Assistance Dogs Welcome”

In cooperation with the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, stickers (“Assistance Dogs Welcome”) were produced a few years ago, which the association still distributes to companies, institutions and organisations. But companies are also recognising their importance and inquiring on about them on their own at the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, so new stickers will not be long in coming. It was a great pleasure for us to welcome our premium members and the professionals around the presenter DI Gloria Petrovics with their amiable and committed assistance dog team. The old saying that dog is man’s best friend rang true once again in this interesting exchange.