ELIGIBILITY & APPLICATION

At Australian Lions Hearing Dogs, we are passionate about enhancing the lives of deaf and hard of hearing Australians through our training and delivery of Hearing Assistance Dogs. 

The below links and information should tell you everything you need to know about applying for a Hearing Assistance Dog, and for anything else please don’t hesitate to contact us.

ELIGIBILITY

Are you interested in applying for a Hearing Dog?

We assess every application for a Hearing Assistance Dog as an individual case. 

A Hearing Dog is not for everyone, because of that, we want to make sure that a Hearing Dog is the most suitable aid for you.

We welcome expressions of interest from people who:

  • are at least 18 years old
  • have a severe to profound hearing loss
  • can demonstrate a real need for a Hearing Assistance Dog
  • have a securely contained area for the dog to enjoy free-run time 
  • can maintain the dog’s training for the whole of its life (with support from ALHD trainers)
  • are physically and financially able to care for a Hearing Assistance Dog, and genuinely like dogs
  • do not have another dog – any other pet is okay, however
 

Even if you do not currently meet all these criteria, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your individual circumstances. All applicants are assessed individually and are not assessed based on race, gender or religion. 

In all cases, once you express an interest we will contact you or your representative to find out more about you. We will then send you a full application package and discuss your options with you.  

Application Checklist

You must:

  • fill out the application form yourself, if possible
  • provide a medical report from your doctor (details supplied in the application package)
  • provide a written report of a recent hearing test from an audiologist
  • provide a character reference from someone other than a member of your family
  • provide a signed application agreement
  • If you have a job, a Hearing Assistance Dog will only be suitable if it can be at work with you in safety and comfort


To obtain an application form or to discuss the possibility of getting a Hearing Assistance Dog, please contact us.

Jan and Ruffles

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

  1. Read the eligibility criteria.
  2. Complete and submit your application.
  3. You or your representative will then be contacted by a member of our team, who will discuss your application.
  4. Once you receive confirmation you will be added to our waiting list.

Demand for our Hearing Assistance Dogs is very high and continues to increase. Currently, our waiting list is currently 2 ½ years.

Once you have made the decision to bring a Hearing Assistance Dog into your life, we imagine you will be keen to know how you are progressing in the queue. We will keep in touch and are available to be contacted at any time.

As we get closer to being able to provide you with a suitable dog, we will be in touch to discuss the dog that has been earmarked for you and a likely delivery date, this happens a few months prior to delivery. At this point, depending on your location, either one of our training team, or a member of a local Lions Club, will meet with you to check your living circumstances. This will confirm that you are ready to accept a Hearing Assistance Dog into your life or if anything has changed since your application that might impact on your ability or desire to care for a dog.

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