ADEu Standards and Ethics
(updated June 2004)

STANDARDS AND ETHICS REGARDING CLIENTS

In keeping with our purpose of helping people with disabilities achieve greater independence and improvement to the quality of their lives, the member organisations of ADEu believe the following ethical criteria are essential to ensure that this mandate is reasonably and responsibly met.
  1. Applicants have a right to be considered to receive an assistance dog regardless of race, sex, religion or beliefs.
  2. Applicants, students and graduates have the right to be treated with respect and dignity at all times in their dealings with the member organisations' personnel and representatives.
  3. The student has a right to receive a sound educational programme to learn how to work with, and care for, his or her assistance dog most effectively at home and in public.
  4. The student has a right to receive appropriate education on his or her role as a user of an assistance dog in the community.
  5. The graduate has the right to receive regularly scheduled team evaluation and follow-up support programmes.
  6. The graduate has a right to receive information on, or ask for assistance in, the following matters:
  7. Applicants, students and graduates have a right to expect that personal files will remain confidential and will not be disclosed unless they have given express prior permission.
  8. The community has a right to expect an assistance dog to be under control at all times and to exhibit no intrusive behaviour in public.
  9. The community has a right to receive information concerning ADEu Standards and Ethics.
  10. The community has a right to receive education on the benefits received by people with disabilities through the use of assistance dogs.
  11. No applicant, student or graduate shall be required to participate in fund raising or public relations activities without their expressed and voluntary permission.
  12. Each individual training agency or individual trainer is responsible for their own policies of funding. Furthermore, each such agency will be accountable for the ethical issues involved with acceptance of this funding.
STANDARDS AND ETHICS REGARDING DOGS

ADEu also believes that any dog the member organisations train to become an assistance dog has a right to a quality life. Therefore, the only ethical use of an assistance dog must incorporate the following criteria:
  1. An assistance dog must be assessed for appropriate temperament and working ability.
  2. An assistance dog must be physically screened for the appropriate degree of good health and physical soundness.
  3. An assistance dog must be technically and analytically trained for maximum control and for the specialised tasks he/she is asked to perform.
  4. An assistance dog must be trained using humane training methods providing for the physical and emotional safety of the dog.
  5. An assistance dog must be permitted to learn at his/her own individual pace and not be placed in service before reaching adequate physical and emotional maturity.
  6. An assistance dog must be matched to best suit the needs, abilities and lifestyle of the client. The same considerations must apply to "owned dogs", where the dog was originally owned by the client himself or herself and has been team-trained by the organisation.
  7. An assistance dog must only be placed with a student able to interact with him/her. The same considerations must apply to "owned dogs", as above.
  8. An assistance dog must only be placed with a student able to provide for the dog's emotional, physical and financial needs. The same considerations must apply to "owned dogs", as above.
  9. An assistance dog must only be placed with a student able to provide a stable and secure living environment. The same considerations must apply to "owned dogs", as above.
  10. An assistance dog must only be placed with an applicant who expresses a desire for independent living and/or an improvement in the quality of his/her life through the use of an assistance dog.
  11. An ADEu member organisation will ensure the welfare of its own dogs in the event of a graduate's death or incapacity to provide proper care. In the case of "owned dogs" that have been team-trained, the organisation will ensure the dog's welfare when specifically requested.
  12. An ADEu member organisation will not train, place, or certify dogs displaying any inappropriate aggressive behaviour. An assistance dog may not be trained for guard or protection duties. Non-aggressive barking as a trained behaviour will be acceptable in appropriate situations.
STANDARDS AND ETHICS REGARDING ORGANISATIONS

Member organisations of ADEu also believe that the following guidelines are necessary to ensure that the member organisations will continue to produce a quality product and to protect applicants, students and graduates from being exploited or demeaned.
  1. All member organisations of ADEu should employ staff with skills appropriate to the tasks they are required to undertake. Communication skills and empathy with people with disabilities must be highly valued, as must a dedication to the attainment of the highest standards of service. All member organisations must have systems in place to monitor the quality of their service, including the selection and training of both clients and dogs.
  2. All Board members of ADEu member organisations must receive appropriate training in the field of Assistance Dogs in general, and in the specific work of the member organisation onto whose Board they have been recruited. They should be provided with appropriate educational materials about their respective programmes. The materials should include but not be limited to the following:
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