Our Charity
About Seeing Eye Dogs
Seeing Eye Dogs is the only national provider of world-class bred and trained dogs. Their main aim is to breed and train seeing eye dogs that can provide independence to people who are blind or who have low vision, thereby improving their quality of life.
The organisation was founded by Mrs PM Gration, who was herself blind. She established the first school to train guide dogs in Victoria in 1960 which later merged with Vision Australia in 2008. The organisation is a full member of the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), having fulfilled all the requirements of their full international accreditation – one of the first training schools in the world to meet the stringent accreditation standards set by the IGDF. The organisation is also a full member of Assistance Dogs International, a leading authority in the assistance dog industry.
Seeing Eye Dogs works closely with each individual client, on a one-on-one basis, offering additional support like orientation and mobility to assess the individuals’ needs and the environments they wish to travel in. This ensures that potential risks are identified and reduced, that the guide dogs are well-trained and suited to the client, and that the client is confident in their abilities.
Seeing eye dogs are very special working dogs who will one day give someone the gift of independence. It takes a lot of love and patience and up to two years to raise and train these amazing animals to have the highest capabilities and meet the strict requirements needed to be seeing eye dogs.
Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs is partly funded through various government schemes but, as each graduating dog costs upwards of $50,000, the organisation relies heavily ‘on the goodwill and support of […] volunteers and donors to provide […] incredible Seeing Eye Dogs.’
The Digital Presence team believe in the power of connectedness and lives an ethos of kindness, integrity and trust. That’s why we are very proud to be associated with Beyond Blue, a registered charity dedicated to supporting and promoting mental health and wellbeing.
At least 2 million people in Australia are living with anxiety and around 1 million people are living with depression. On average, at least 8 people will die by suicide every day.
Beyond Blue is committed to helping people who are struggling with the ups and downs of mental health through support services, programs, research, advocacy and communication activities. The aim is to help people to understand that they are not alone, that their feelings can change, and to equip them with the skills and tools that will enable them to look after their mental health and wellbeing.
Furthermore, Beyond Blue offers support, advice, information, and access to discussion groups for everything from anxiety depression and suicide to pregnancy, early parenthood, grief, loss, drugs, alcohol and mental health.
The Chair of Beyond Blue, The Hon Julia Gillard AC believes that it’s important, now more than ever, to remain ‘connected, kind and compassionate.’ Beyond Blue is working towards breaking the stigma associated with mental health to encourage people to reach out for support when they feel they need it and to give individuals confidence in their own abilities to reach out to those around them who may be feeling alone, isolated and overwhelmed.