WHEN Amy Ord decided to get an assistance dog to help with her complications, she found the change to be a welcome one.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome where I can basically faint,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve also got chronic fatigue and autism.<\/p>\n
\u201cMillie is a poodle cross golden retriever and can help me if I have a dizzy spell or heartrate spike. Eventually I\u2019ll get a harness for her so she can help me keep upright with my crutches.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn days when I\u2019m stuck in bed she\u2019s a good companion and when I have falls she\u2019ll get help.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being new to having an assistance animal, Ms Ord noticed a lack of a local support network for handlers, and started the Ballarat Assistant Animal Support Group.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of handlers have said to me something like this is needed,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s also to offer advice to anyone who\u2019s local and wants to start their animal assistance journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s first meeting was held on Tuesday last week and saw four handlers gathering at the Buninyong Dog Park.<\/p>\n
Ms Ord said the group has been welcomed by the community, and she has some ideas of how to develop it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had four people with mobility issues and all dogs but this is open to all assistance animals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get most of my advice from the Working Animals Federation of Australia who are trying to establish a standard for assistance animals in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince there isn\u2019t one currently, anyone can claim their dog to be an assistance animal so we want to make sure people stay in line with the Disability Discrimination Act.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want this group to become a go-to place for information on assistance animals in Ballarat, even advocating to councils in the future would be good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Get-togethers will continue on Tuesdays at 6pm at the CE Brown Reserve Dog Park which Ms Ord and Millie normally visit twice a week.<\/p>\n
Updates can be found at the Ballarat Assistant Animal Support Group Facebook page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WHEN Amy Ord decided to get an assistance dog to help with her complications, she found the change to be a welcome one. \u201cI have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome where I can basically faint,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve also got chronic fatigue and autism. \u201cMillie is a poodle cross golden retriever and […]<\/p>\n