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Assistance dogs

People who are wholly or partially blind or deaf, or otherwise have a disability, are entitled to take an accredited assistance dog onto any place or premises. It is an offence for an occupier or person in charge of a public place or public passenger vehicle to refuse access to a person on the ground that they are accompanied by an assistance dog [Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 (SA) s 81]. It is an offence to claim that a dog is an assistance dog unless it is accredited under the Act or covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth).

The following are prescribed accreditation bodies under the Act and regulations:

  • The Dog and Cat Management Board;
  • The Royal Society for the Blind of SA Inc;
  • The Guide Dogs Association of SA and NT Inc;
  • Lions Hearing Dogs Inc;
  • Assistance Dogs Australia;
  • Righteous Pups Australia Inc;
  • Vision Australia;
  • Guide Dogs WA;
  • Guide Dogs Queensland;
  • Guide Dogs NSW/ACT;
  • Guide Dogs Victoria;
  • Guide Dogs Tasmania

See Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 (SA) s 21(7); Dog and Cat Management Regulations 2017 (SA) reg 5.

Assistance dogs  :  Last Revised: Thu Jun 28th 2018
The content of the Law Handbook is made available as a public service for information purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice. See Disclaimer for details. For free and confidential legal advice in South Australia call 1300 366 424.