The International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (Sterling Heights, Michigan 48310) is a non-profit, cross-disability organization that represents people partnered with guide, hearing, and service dogs.
IAADP’s mission is to (1) provide assistance dog partners with a voice in the assistance dog field; (2) enable those partnered with guide dogs, hearing dogs, and service dogs to work together on issues of mutual concern; and, (3) to foster the disabled person / assistance dog partnership.
A quarterly newsletter and an annual meeting in conjunction with the Assistance Dogs International Conference were chosen as the most effective ways to link together assistance dog partners from different programs as well as those partnered with privately-trained or owner-trained dogs. Board members are drawn from the population of disabled people partnered with guide dogs, hearing dogs, and service dogs.
Although developed as a consumer advocacy effort, the IAADP welcomes advice and input from all those with a personal or professional interest in the assistance dog field. It seeks to foster a sense of community among all the stakeholders in the success of the assistance dog movement.
