The Service Dog Malta Foundation is holding a meeting this coming Friday, the 25th of November, at the Gozo College Sannat Primary School, starting at 9am. Those interested in finding out more about the important work of service dogs are invited to go along.

The Service Dog Malta Foundation is a registered NGO which has been set up since 17th April 2013. Their aim is that of helping people with special needs by providing them with a service dog that has been trained to overcome some of the difficulties that they encounter on a day to day basis.

Among other things, service dogs can be trained as:

Autism Assistance Dogs – these dogs give persons on the autistic spectrum support and provide them with confidence and a sense of independence.

Diabetic Alert Dogs – these dogs alert a diabetic person when their blood sugar level is reaching dangerously high or low levels.

Hearing Dogs – these dogs alert a person with hearing difficulties when there is something that needs their immediate attention such as a knock on the door, a smoke alarm or a baby crying.

Mobility Assistance Dogs – among other things, these dogs are trained to pick up or carry objects and open and close drawers and doors for people who have mobility issues or are wheelchair-bound.

Seizure Alert Dogs – these dogs alert a person who is prone to seizures that an episode is imminent so that the person can lie down or take other precautions such as stop driving.

Therapy Dogs – these dogs provide comfort and a sense of peace and security for people with mental health conditions.

There are as many types of service dogs as there are conditions which can be eased by training a dog to perform a task!

For the time being the Foundation is focusing on training Autism Assistance Dogs, Diabetic Alert Dogs and Therapy Dogs with a special emphasis on training dogs to work with children. If anyone thinks that they or a member of their family would benefit from the services of an Autism Assistance or Diabetic Alert Dog please contact the Foundation to obtain a relevant application form.

The Service Dogs are given to the persons who need them for free (subject to certain terms and conditions). However one should remember that these dogs cost the Foundation approximately €15,000 each to train and maintain and persons who are matched with a dog are expected to care for them as instructed by the trainer. The dogs remain the property of the Foundation so should we feel that there is any form of mistreatment or lack of care the dogs will revert back to the Foundation.

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