Working one-on-one with animals and people to build confidence and connection.
Join the Paws Pack!
We will be by your side from day one,
providing support and advice
any time you need it.
We are available to bounce ideas off,
provide advocacy assistance,
and link you in with other services
that may be of benefit.
How to Apply
To provide the highest quality services possible, we have just 4 intakes per year capped at 10 new members per intake.
Our intakes are scheduled for 1st March, 1st June, 1st September, and 1st December each year. However, our waiting list is open year-round. To join our waiting list simply send us an email to request our waitlist form. A non-refundable fee of $50 is applicable, which is deducted from your first year’s membership.
Please note that joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry during the next intake period as we have a cap on incoming members to ensure quality. But we will let you know our intake availability when you make contact with us.
We accept applications from any interested party at any stage of the training or working life of their assistance animal. We do not discriminate based on ability or need and welcome all applicants regardless of their background, values, or goals. We value diversity and aim to be as inclusive as possible relying on our members’ strengths to succeed.
We have a Advisory Panel with members who specialise in the following areas:
- Psychosocial Disability with a special interest in PTSD stemming from DV and SA.
- Developmental disability (e.g. autism)
- Physical disability (e.g. paraplegia, cerebral palsy)
- Cognitive disability (e.g. dementia, acquired brain injury)
- Sensory disability (e.g. vision impaired, hearing impaired)
Please note that we do not currently have an AUSLAN or other interpreters available, however, interpreting services can be arranged on an as-needed basis.
Our Panel has members with experience in training dogs, cats, parrots, and miniature horses as Assistance Animals.
What happens when I make contact with IN PAWS WE TRUST?
One of our friendly Panel members will reply to your email answering any questions you may have, and providing a copy of our waitlist application.
Once you have completed and returned your waitlist form, and made payment of the $50 fee, we will add you to our waiting list and let you know when you will be in contact next.
Around a month before our next intake, a member of our Panel will reach out to find out more about you to make sure we have the ability to accommodate your specific needs. You will then be invited to become a member of IN PAWS WE TRUST and receive your membership pack, packed full of all the information and resources you will need to succeed in our program. Members also have access to all of our Advisory Panel members, as well as our private moderated social media group of trainers, breeders and fellow members who are a hive of information and support. The files section contains a number of resources for members including links to various training videos and information on nutrition, exercise, veterinary care and husbandry.
You will be asked to sign our Code of Conduct This may seem unusual when compared to other organisations, but this is a crucial step at IN PAWS WE TRUST. We have a responsibility to our members to ensure that we provide a safe space for growth. IN PAWS WE TRUST does not tolerate bullying, harassment or victimisation in any form and will suspend members who participate in internal or external vilification of other members of training organisations or the wider community. We are a space for all, and our members are required to be professional in every communication and undertaking they make. We endeavor to provide a safe space for all our members, making a point to recognise the unique diversity each of our members brings to the organisation.
IN PAWS WE TRUST works on a unique mentorship model, with each new member being required to attend six 1-hour mentoring sessions over the first siz weeks of joining IN PAWS WE TRUST. Here, you will meet some of our Panel members and get to know a bit about what we offer. You will also learn about all the essentail things you need to know about working with an assistance animal including:
- WHS
- Public Access Law
- Animal Behaviour & Body Language
- How Animals Learn
- Husbandry
- Enrichment
- Exercise
- Equipment
- Public Access Rights & Responsibilities
- and much, much more!
During the first couple of months with IN PAWS WE TRUST you will also meet individually with one of our Advisory Panel members who will be able to provide you with individualised support. This may include helping you to locate a suitable breeder to source a puppy, or a local trainer to provide you with face-to-face training sessions, match you up with a community service you may benefit from, or helping your trainer design a suitable training plan for you and your animal. At this time you will also be assigned to a social media chat which is specific to new members in the training phase of their assistance animal journey who can provide support and a sounding block. Our Panel members will also be present in this chat to answer any questions and provide guidance if there is anything you are unsure about.
Our Advisory Panel is contactable at all times by email or through our moderated social media groups. We also have an emergency number for those situations you are unable to navigate alone.
You will also receive your membership pack which contains:
- Your Welcome Letter
- Your Membership Number
- Veterinary Form
- Medical Form
- Membership Form
- Additional Infromation
We will also ensure you have the necessary evidence to apply for any government accreditations you may elect to participate in, e.g. NSW Transport Card.
Each month, our members meet online to discuss important topics as well as to hang out, share in each others successes and help each other troubleshoot any problems that may have come up. Everyone from the CEO to the newest of members are invited to drop in and share in the fun. Some of our recent sessions have included discussions on aged care and NDIS funding options, dog sports for beginners and enrichment for assistance cats. These are drop-in sessions which are optional to attend, but we encourage our members, their support people and their trainers to attend when ever possible.
If you need support with public access issues, a letter for a real estate agent, or anything else from us, our Panel members will provide the documentation needed.
At IN PAWS WE TRUST, our Panel consists of professional animal trainers who are committed to providing ongoing support to our members. While our Panel is readily available to answer questions and offer resources such as fact sheets and videos, we strongly encourage members to engage regularly with a professional face-to-face trainer on a one-on-one basis. This personalised training helps support and enhance your progress.
IN PAWS WE TRUST requres that members and their assisatcne animals undertake the following assessments:
- Preliminary Public Access Test (pPAT) at around 6-8 months of age which signifies the start of training in non-pet-friendly areas
- Qualifying Public Access Test (qPAT) at around 15-18 months of age which signifies your status as a fully-fledged assistance animal team with rights to public access.
- Annual Public Access Test (aPAT) which is completed annually or semi-annually to retain your public access rights as an assistance animal team.
WE also require completion of an annual Veterinary Form to ensure your animals continued fitness to work. Medical forms do not need to be repeated, unless your practitioner lists your condition as not being life-long.
Our Fees
Each year our members pay a membership fee to help fund IN PAWS WE TRUST. We keep our fees as low as possible without compromising on our services. As a social enterprise, we are run by members for members with all profits going back into IN PAWS WE TRUST for the benefit of our members.
Our current Fee Schedule is as Follows:
Waiting List $50
First Year $250 (including the waitlist fee)
Subsequent Year $150
Due to our already low fees, no further discounts will apply for membership fees.
in addition to these fees the following fees may apply dependent upon your personal situation:
- Purchase of a suitible puppy.
- Face-to-Face training sessions with a local trainer.
- Face-to-face assessment with a local trainer.
Please note that breeders, trainers and PAT assessor fees are individually set by the trainer/assessor, and paid directly to the trainer by the member.
As a member of IN PAWS WE TRUST, you will have access to the following support as a part of your membership:
- Ongoing support and advice from our Panel members
- Theoretical knowledge and practical supports from our knowledgeable team
- Access to our drop-in virtual support sessions
- Access to our pre-vetted, preferred breeders and trainers lists
- Coverage by our insurance policy
- Patch to display on your animals’ jacket or harness to signify that you are a member of IN PAWS WE TRUST
- Leash wrap to display your status as an assistance animal team with legal protections
- Physical ID card denoting your qualified assistance animal status
- Virtual assessments submitted via a single pre-recorded video or conducted live online
- Educational cards to hand out to members of the public who question your public access rights
- Access to our private social media groups
- Support to self-advocate for your rights
- Referrals to appropriate agencies as needed
- Optional access to several award programs which can be completed in conjunction with training your assistance animal. including the Do More with Your Dog! Award Programs
- Your animal featured on our website
- The opportunity to be featured on our public social media or write for our upcoming blog
Our Accreditations
IN PAWS WE TRUST is in the process of applying for accrediotation with the following bodies:
- Queensland GHAD
- South Australia PAT
- Western Australia PAT
- ACT PAT
- NSW Transport Card
- Queensland Translink Card
- Victoria Travel Pass
- Tasmania Travel Pass
- Working Animals Federation of Australia (WAFA)
- International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF)
- Assistance Dogs International (ADI)
What does this mean?
Our members currently work under Section 9(2)(c) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth). Those opting to work under Section 9(2)(a) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) will be connected with suitable assessors to provide these services (additional fee applies), prior to IN PAWS WE TRUST receiving approval to offer these services in-house.
Both options remain valid choices and provide our members with the same public access rights.
Who We Are
IN PAWS WE TRUST is staffed by a number of qualified, experienced and knowledgeable staff. which comprise our Advisory Panel
The CEO of the National Assistance Animal Training Group holds postgraduate degrees in animal behavior and welfare, human disability, mental health, autism and education, and has experience working for numerous charities, government departments, non-government organizations, RTOs and universities. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Working Animals Federation of Australia, Companion Animals Federation of Australia and Assistance Animal Advocacy Australia..
In addition to our CEO, we have a minimum of 3 other Advisory panel members at any one time for a minimum term of 12 months who provide advice and support to our current members.
As we aim to be one of the best, rather than the largest, assistance animal training organisation and, as such, we ensure our intakes have a maximum of 10 members at any one time. This allows for personal and individual support to be provided to each member. It is, for this reason, we have a cap on the number of new members admitted during each intake.
Our Partners
IN PAWS WE TRUST maintains a list of preferred, pre-vetted professional breeders, trainers, and rescue groups.
These individuals and organisations are known to have extremely high standards.
PREFERRED BREEDERS
Our preferred breeders are Right Paw verified, and emebers of appropriate breed bodies. They have an extremely high level of knowledge in breeding and puppy rearing, and are known to provide suitable, well-bred, healthy prospects for the role of assistance animal.
PREFERRED TRAINERS
At a minimum, we prefer a trainer hold a Certificate 4 Animal Behaviour and Training (including the relevant assistance animal training units), as well as a university degree in one of the following fields: education, social work, disability or allied health and at least 10 years experience in the industry.
However, we will consider applications from trainers who do not meet these requirements but have relevant experience in both animal behaviour and human disability. However, from 1 July 2026 we will require all preferred trainers to be independently accredited by the Working Animals Federation of Australia (WAFA) for quality assurance purposes.
PREFERRED RESCUE GROUPS
Some individuals prefer to adopt an animal, rather than purchase from a breeder. Our preferred rescue groups are run by highly experienced individuals who are capable of providing suitable candidate dogs.