Several therapists often suggest people living with disabilities opt
for companion pets. This is because they have found evidence that pets can have
a calming and positive effect on people with disabilities, who often tend to
isolate themselves socially. However, although having a pet can be a tremendous
emotional support, it is crucial to find out if a companion dog has
the eligibility to get NDIS funding or not.
NDIS does not fund companion
pets
Companion pets do not meet the eligibility
criteria for NDIS funding. They only fund assistance animals. The reason is
that although they can be comforting and valued companions to people, they
generally don’t relate to a specific disability support need. Therefore, if
you foster a dog for a loved one with disability issues, it is
better to have an alternative financial plan to bear the expenses.
Why doesn’t NDIS fund dogs
adopted as companion animals?
NDIS does not fund animals bought to give
you companionship, fun and emotional support. They view the costs of buying,
feeding, training and looking after a pet or companion dog as
a day-to-day living cost that cannot be related to the disability needs of
individuals. Therefore, they view it as an expense same as for anyone without a
disability and expect the individual families to bear it. If the animal does
not help the person with a disability by reducing the level of disability or
being a beneficial support system to deal with it, NDIS does not fund it.
NDIS’ funding criteria
According to the law for NDIS, a few
things do not fall under their funding criteria. Therefore, they do not fund or
provide support that:
- are illegal
- are a replacement for their incomes
- are likely to be harmful or pose a risk to others
- are not related to disability issues of people
- relate to ‘day-to-day living costs’, like groceries, or utilities,
that are not attributable to disability support needs. These costs are not
caused by or even a result of disability support needs.
act as a duplicate of other
supports provided by the NDIS under alternative funding.
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