Charity

A New Zealand charity which trains and manages assistance dogs says its waitlist is “growing every day”, and more funding and volunteers are needed.Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust (ADNZT) breeds, trains, and certifies dogs to help children and young adults with special needs, such as autism.ADNZT’s Fundraising & Communications Manager Kendra van der Linden says the dogs provide companionship, confidence and security, and are trained to be a perfect fit for their human.13-year-old Natalie – who has epilepsy, autism and an intellectual disability – got assistance dog Rufus about three years ago.“If she does have a seizure, Rufus calms and comforts her,” Natalie’s mum Phillipa says. “He’s really intuitive and comes and has a bit of a snuggle, so that’s nice – but really his main job is keeping her safe.”The organisation currently has 31 working dogs placed around the country, but its waitlist for a dog has grown to more than 50.Being a not-for-profit organisation, ADNZT is heavily reliant on fundraising and sponsorship to reach that goal – some of which is done by the families who receive the dogs, but most comes from partnerships and corporate sponsorship.“Some of our main supporters are the Lindsay Foundation, Hill’s Pet Nutrition … we also have the Scarlet Trust, and of course the ANZ Staff Foundation, which has come on board to support the purchase of a puppy development vehicle,” Kendra says.The ANZ Staff Foundation’s $25,000 donation will provide transport for the Trust’s operations in Christchurch.