MEDIA RELEASE
Guide Dogs Victoria welcomes the announcement today from the Coalition who, if elected, would provide $2 million dollars in funding to redevelop our veterinary clinic, kennel facilities and breeding centre.
This is a truly wonderful and significant announcement for our organisation. This commitment of funds will mean Guide Dogs Victoria can make an unprecedented level of improvement to our essential infrastructure in the near future.
Improved infrastructure will better support the expansion of our current dog breeding program and our corresponding success rates.
Guide Dogs Victoria is a trusted disability service provider with a rich and proud history dating back more than fifty years within Victoria. Guide Dogs Victoria is a community led organisation which was built and is still heavily supported by the spirit and commitment of a large volunteer workforce.
Guide Dogs Victoria currently assists 1,500 Victorians every year to deliver high quality and low cost client services through effective programs ensuring client mobility needs are met within best practice models.
65% of Guide Dog’s Victoria’s services are provided in metropolitan locations and 35% in regional areas. In the last 12 months, Guide Dogs Victoria has had a 44% increase in referrals for Guide Dogs.
This funding will enable Guide Dogs Victoria to be better positioned to increase our delivery of purpose bred Guide Dogs to blind and vision impaired clients in Victoria, as well as increase our ability to contribute purpose bred Guide Dogs to other Guide Dog State organisations including New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia & Tasmania. Guide Dogs Victoria will also further expand the utilisation of our dogs for other disability programs which includes Pets as Therapy and Companion Dogs.
A Guide Dog costs Guide Dogs Victoria $30,000 to breed, raise, and train. Guide Dogs are provided entirely free of charge to Victorians who are blind or vision impaired once suitability is determined by the Guide Dogs Victoria Client Services Team.