ADEu Standards and Ethics regarding AAA/AAT/AAE

STANDARDS AND ETHICS REGARDING CLIENTS

In keeping with our purpose of helping people with disabilities and/or social disavantages achieve improvement to the quality of their lives and therapuetic benefits through AAA/AAT/AAE programmes, the member organisations of ADEu believe the following ethical criteria are essential to ensure that this mandate is reasonably and responsibly met.
  1. Individual applicants have a right to be considered to receive an individual residential social dog regardless of race, sex, religion or beliefs. Facility applicants have a right to be considered to receive a residential social dog regardless of 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, care for and protect his/her social 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 handler of a social dog in the community.
  5. The graduate has the right to regularly scheduled team evaluation and follow-up support programmes.
  6. The graduate handler of a residential social dog has a right to receive information on, or ask for assistance in, the following matters: The graduate handler of a visitng social dog 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 a social dog to be under control at all times and to exhibit no inappropriate 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 through the implementaio of AAA/AAT/AAE programmes.
  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 social dog has a right to a quality life. Therefore, the only ethical use of an social dog must incorporate the following criteria:
  1. A social dog must be screened for emotional soundness, suitability and working ability.
  2. A social dog must be physically screened for the appropriate degree of good health and physical soundness.
  3. A social dog must be trained using humane training methods providing for the physical and emotional safety of the dog.
  4. A social 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.
  5. A social 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 is owned by the client him/herself and has been team-trained by the organisation.
  6. A social dog placed with a client (individual or facility), must only be placed with a client able to provide for the dog's emotional, physical and financial needs and a stable and secure living environment.
  7. 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.
  8. An ADEu member organisation will not train, place, or register dogs displaying any inappropriate aggressive behaviour. A social dog may not be trained for guard or protection duties. A dog which has been previously trained in bite work may not be evaluated as a social dog.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 and or social handicaps 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 handlers and dogs.
  2. All Board members of ADEu member organisations must receive appropriate training in the field of AAA/AAT/AAE and social 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:
back