Assistance Dogs International

David Locklin - red hair, beard and glasses, - kneeling down with his arm around a yellow labrador

We have a new Executive Director, David Locklin, who began his career over 25 years ago at @guidedogs and is now based in the USA. "I'm honored to join an organization that unites such dedicated, skilled, & passionate professionals" says David. We're honored to have you! Welcome!

The Dogvatar logo - a green rectangle with a black, blue and white graphic of a smiling dog face in the centre

ADI welcomes our new Corporate Partner Dogvatar! Dogvatar uses an AI-powered trainer assistant "Simon" to improve outcomes, success rates, & welfare of working dogs & support trainers & puppy raisers with real-time personalized insights. See www.dogvatar.dog for more info!

A yellow labrador assistance dog puppy in a frame with the words Thank You To All the Amazing Assistance Dogs

It's #internationaldogday! This is a great opportunity to say thank you to all the incredible dogs our members work so hard to train so that they can help people who need them. Our latest statistics show we have over 28,300 #assistancedog teams across the world. #lifechangers

Working Like Dogs - Assistance Dogs International on Pet Life Radio On this episode of Working Like Dogs on Pet Life Radio, Marcie and her loyal service dog, Fenway, sit down with Chris Diefenthaler, Executive Director of Assistance Dogs International (ADI).

Want to know more about @adiintl and what we do? Listen to this great podcast with our ED Chris on www.petliferadio.com to find out how we started, created our standards, and grew to become the leading authority on #assistancedogs!

It's important to train #assistancedogs for many different scenarios. Thanks to www.catc.cz who worked with our member helppes.cz to train their dogs in aircraft and emergency situations.

Continuing our celebration of places that really welcome #assistancedogs this #internationalassistancedogweek, here’s Sue and James from www.caninepartners.org.uk. Thank you to the chemist in Cockermouth - you know who you are! #IADW2025 #Paws4Access

We’ve been thanking those that give a warm welcome to #assistancedogs this #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek. Here’s Sandy from abilitycenter.org telling us the difference a dog makes when it comes to access. #lifechangers

We’re off to Canada for our next thank you for pawsitive access, with Tim and Gage, trained by www.autismdogservices.ca. Huge thanks to royalcitynursery.com in Guelph for the outstanding welcome they gave to Tim, Gage and family. Another example of Access Done Right! #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek

Access is also important when training #assistancedogs. Venues like @tanglewoodma.bsky.social‬ go out of their way to welcome puppy raisers and trainers like Brenda with Marley from @neads-wcsd.bsky.social‬, allowing dogs to gain valuable experience. Thank you! #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek

A warm welcome for an assistance dog at the most significant moments in life is vital. Here is Lowra from ADI member
www.os-mose.be
with a wonderful story of how her dog Gaia helped her at the birth of her first child. #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek #Paws4Access

Kristen & @FreedomSvcDogs Boogie show what #AccessDoneRight looks like—and express gratitude to the restaurants that make them feel welcome. #IADW2025 #PawsForAccess #LifeChangers

We know that travel, especially by air, can pose huge problems for assistance dog users. But some airlines and airports do get it right. Here’s Marek from www.helppes.cz with his dog Rey thanking those who enable him and Rey to travel around Europe. #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek

When Christina had to go into hospital, her assistance dog Frigga went with her. Just another example of the difference pawsitive access makes. Frigga was trained by our member servicehunde.dk #IADW2025 #lifechangers

Shopping malls can be great training places for #assistancedogs like Lily from www.candocanines.org. Here’s a shoutout to www.ridgedalecenter.com in Minnesota who are a great example of positive access for assistance dogs and their handlers. Thank you! #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek

It’s #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek and we want to highlight those places that welcome #assistancedogs and share pawsitive access stories with you! First up it’s https://traffordcentre.co.uk/. Thank you for being so welcoming to Anne and Dave! @hearingdogs.org.uk

Following on from our Blog about young trainers, we just had to share this from our member https://helppes.cz/. They have many young clients, including young children, and also involve the children of their employees and volunteers in dog training. Here's Stela showing how it's done!

A young boy sits in a chair with a black labrador assistance dog by his side

Check out our latest Blog which looks at how young people can play a valuable role helping train #assistancedogs. It's beneficial for assistance dogs in training, the junior trainers, and assistance dog organizations themselves.
Red more here: assistancedogsinternational.org/blog/2025/07...

Graphic with the text "63% of guide dog users denied rideshare transport"

Graphic with the text "40% of assistance dog users avoid going out due to past refusals rideshare"

Transportation poses significant challenges for assistance dog handlers.56% of respondents globally experienced refusals in taxis or rideshares. Guide dog handlers reported even higher refusal rates at 63%. https://assistancedogsinternational.org/resources/paws-for-access-report/ #Paws4Access

A graphic with the text "But you don't look disabled is a big one"

"Handlers frequently need to verify or justify their assistance dogs...people with invisible disabilities face additional pressure to justify the legitimacy of their assistance dog" Read our report: https://assistancedogsinternational.org/resources/paws-for-access-report/ #Paws4Access #AccessMatters

A graphic with the text "A doctor refused to see me because I had an assistance dog"

"The emotional toll on assistance dog users is considerable, leading to feelings of exclusion, anxiety, & frustration. This is exacerbated by the need to continually advocate for their rights before receiving equal treatment"  https://assistancedogsinternational.org/resources/paws-for-access-report/

A graphic with the text "people often question if my dog is really a service animal because of all the fake ones out there"

A graphic with the text "65% face skepticism due to fake service dogs"

65% of assistance dog users in our report faced skepticism due to the rising number of fake #assistancedogs? This adds to the emotional burden and frustration experienced by handlers. Read the full report here: https://assistancedogsinternational.org/resources/paws-for-access-report/

Front page of the Paws for Access report with Out Now written across it

Being denied access hurts more than plans. It hurts dignity. 1 in 2 assistance dog users face public access refusals. It’s time for global change. Read the report: https://assistancedogsinternational.org/resources/paws-for-access-report/ #Paws4Access #AccessMatters  @ADIintl @IGDFDogs

A bearded man in a wheelchair holds the leash of a yellow labrador assistance dog. They are in a shop

Our #Paws4Access report (with www.igdf.org.uk/) highlights the global discrimination faced by assistance dog users.
We call on:
Governments to enforce legal protections
Businesses to educate staff
Communities to stand up for inclusion assistancedogsinternational.org/blog/2025/06...

Embrace Pet Insurance logo

A white poodle cross dog lies on the ground looking at the camera, being petted by several people

Embrace Pet Insurance is ADI’s newest Corporate Partner! Embrace Pet Insurance is offering a minimum 10% discount to ADI members organizations’ graduates, staff, and volunteers in the United States.
See website for details: www.embracepetinsurance.com.
Welcome and huge thanks!

a woman sits in a court room petting a yellow labrador

Our latest Blog looks at our affiliated partner courthousedogs.org: These dogs - all graduates from ADI accredited organizations - accompany individuals through the legal process, providing a calming influence. Read more here: assistancedogsinternational.org/blog/2025/05... #lifechangers

A woman sits on the grass with Cobble, a yellow labrador assistance dog by her side

It's #NationalEpilepsyWeek for our UK members. Organisations such as https://www.supportdogs.org.uk/ train dogs like Cobble to provide a 100% reliable warning up to 1 hour in advance of an oncoming seizure. This gives time for their owner to find a place of safety and privacy. #lifechangers

Could you recognise your own dog if you were blindfolded? What about if you are a dog trainer and train several different dogs? We love how well the trainers from ADI member @americasvetdogs.bsky.social know their dogs! Check out this great video! #lifechangers #assistancedogs

The Shine on! Kids logo of 3 stars with smiling faces

Please welcome @sokidsJP, an ADI Affiliated Partner, which provides support for children in Japan with cancer and other serious illnesses. Shine On! Kids unique model uses specially trained facility dogs paired with clinician handlers: https://sokids.org/ Welcome to ADI!

A woman walks in the sunlight with her German Shepherd guide dog

A German Shepherd guide dog looking out the window of a train

It's #InternationalGuideDogDay! Thank you to all our members and colleagues who work so hard to train life-changing #guidedogs. In June, together with https://www.igdf.org.uk/, we'll be sharing the results of our joint survey showing the challenges assistance dog users still face.

A black labrador sits facing the camera with a blue ball at its feet

"Not every dog that steps into training will be matched with a client and graduate, but that doesn’t mean that they cannot make an impact in some other way." Find out all about career-change dogs in our latest Blog from ADI member dogguides.com assistancedogsinternational.org/blog/2025/04...