At our club meeting on 16th July, our own John McKenna spoke on the wonderful work of the Assistance Dogs Australia program, providing dogs for a range of care and relationship functions for people in need.  They provide support to people with disabilities such as paraplegia, quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, developmental disabilities such as autism, and mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. He provided personal reflections of his grandson who has benefited greatly from an assistance dog, Colonel.  John brought Colonel along to the meeting, and he won the hearts of club members.

John highlighted the high costs associated with training of each dog, and the work that goes into matching dog and the person needing support, and noted that dogs are placed free of charge to people who need them.  A heart warming presentation.