What is Assistance Dogs International?

Assistance Dogs International (ADI) is a worldwide coalition of non-profit assistance dog organizations. Membership is made up of accredited assistance dog organizations that uphold the standards set by ADI and candidate programs that adhere to ADI standards and are working towards accreditation.

What does it take to be an ADI accredited org?

• Be a non-profit assistance dog organization

• Programs must be an ADI Accredited member or Candidate program in good standing.

• Candidate programs must have been a Candidate for at least 2 years and have placed at least 10 assistance dog teams to be eligible to apply for an ADI accreditation survey.

• What is assessed?

  • Criteria for administration of all program operations

  • Fair and ethical treatment of clients

  • Humane training methods for the dogs

  • Proper health care for the dogs

  • Safety and cleanliness of the training facility

  • Criteria for screening suitability of both dogs and clients

  • Criteria for matching dogs and clients

  • Compliance with all legal regulations

  • Procedure for puppy raising within a prison system

  • Proper training and evaluation of owner-trained assistance dog teams

  • You can learn more about what they’re looking for here

• Organizations are peer-reviewed by a trained accreditor complete with an on-site multi-day visit

• All programs are required to be re-accredited every five (5) years in order to maintain their ADI accreditation membership status

What does it mean to be an ADI accredited org?

• The org meets the highest standards in the assistance dog industry

• They may network and attend conferences with other ADI orgs

• They have the opportunity to join the ABC Breeding Cooperative

• The VA will help veterans with assistance dogs from ADI accredited organizations with veterinary care, specialized equipment, and travel expenses

(The above information came from ADI’s website.)

Is your org ADI accredited?

• Usually they will have the ADI seal on their website but you can search here on ADI’s website as well.

• If your org or the org you are looking to raise for is ADI accredited that means they are *probably* an ethical organization to work with. There are of course exceptions.

• If your org or the org you are looking to raise for is not ADI accredited, this doesn't mean they are not a quality organization. Look and see if they have other accreditations like the International Guide Dog Federation or see if they are an ADI candidate program here.

• Remember there are other ways to see if it’s a good organization like a google search, talking to current and past volunteers, and starting out just by puppy sitting.

You can learn more about Assistance Dogs International on their website.