Step 1: Learn what an assistance animal is
We’ll only fund assistance animals that are effective and beneficial to your disability.
Learn about the types of assistance animals we fund.
Step 2: Contact your my NDIS contact
Talk to your my NDIS contact if you want to explore funding for an assistance animal.
For us to fund an assistance animal, it needs to be reasonable and necessary and meet the NDIS funding criteria.
Your my NDIS contact can talk to you about the process and can help you understand what information and evidence we need.
Step 3: Ask for an assessment
A qualified dog guide mobility instructor can complete a dog guide assessment if you think you might need a dog guide.
An assistive technology assessor can complete an assistance animal assessment if you think you might need any other type of assistance animal.
The assessment describes your situation and explains why an assistance animal will help you in your day-to-day activities and work towards your goals. This information helps us decide if an assistance animal:
- is an appropriate NDIS support for you
- meets the rules for the kinds of supports the NDIS can fund.
Step 4: Gather evidence
For dog guides
If you need a dog guide, we’ll need information and evidence from:
A dog guide mobility instructor
This is to confirm that you need a dog guide, that it can or will be matched to you and that the dog is qualified or being trained.
You, the participant
This is to confirm that you need the dog guide and to show what other supports you have tried.
For other assistance animals
If you need any other type of assistance animal, we’ll need information and evidence from:
A registered assistance animal provider
This is to confirm that the assistance animal can or will be matched to you and that the animal is qualified or being trained.
Your allied health professional(s)
This is to confirm that you need the assistance animal.
You, the participant
This is to confirm that you need the assistance animal and to show what other supports you have tried. The assistance animal also needs to pass your state or territory’s public access test. This makes sure the animal is suitable to support you within your community.
Step 5: Get a quote
Contact an accredited assistance animal provider for a quote. We’ll only fund an assistance animal that’s been trained or is being trained by an accredited assistance animal provider.
You can search for a registered provider online, ask your my NDIS contact or use our provider finder. The provider must be able to show us evidence they’re accredited to train and qualify an assistance animal.
Step 6: Send us your information and evidence
Once you’ve completed an assessment and gathered all the information and evidence we need, send it to us by:
- sharing it with your my NDIS contact
- providing it in person at your local office
- sending it to GPO Box 700 Canberra ACT 2601.
Once we receive your information and evidence
We’ll work with you to change your plan if we decide an assistance animal meets the NDIS funding criteria.
We can’t include an assistance animal in your plan if we decide these supports don’t meet the NDIS funding criteria. We’ll explain why we made this decision.
You can ask for an internal review if you don’t agree with our decision.