About Us
Service Animals Australia is a charitable organisation providing Essential Standards for Therapy Dogs nationwide.
Service Animals Australia Founders
Service Animals Australia is run by a team highly experienced in animal behaviour, education and special needs.
Dr. Brad Rundle
Founder, Director and Head Trainer.
Dr. Brad Rundle (Ph.D in Zoology & Genetics) is an expert in understanding and modifying animal behaviour. He is a highly experienced educator who specialises in tailoring and planning effective and individualised programs that best match the needs of the individual.
Mrs. Melanie Rundle
Founder, Director and Educator.
Mel is a highly skilled and experienced educator who specialises in supporting individuals with special needs. She is passionate about improving the overall well-being of individuals. She is an expert in applying the principles of positive psychology to develop training programs that cater for differing ability levels, strengths and specific individual needs.
Staff and Volunteers
Miss. Kate McBain
Trainer & Animal Welfare Officer
Ms. Gwen Tran
Administration & Human Resources
Dr. Laura Deegan
Clinical Psychologist
Mrs. Lauren Bakker
Occupational Therapist
Mrs. Kasey Shaw
Public Relations & Occupational Health & Safety Coordinator
Assistance, Companionship & Emotional Support
Service Animals Australia is a registered charity that assists individuals struggling to cope with the symptoms of diagnosed mental health conditions and some physical disabilities. The organisation provides the Essential Standards for Therapy Dogs nationwide and specialises in training assistance dogs, therapy dogs and general dog training (throughout Victoria) to suit our clients’ specific needs.
Service Animals Australia understands the special role that animals can have in providing assistance, companionship and emotional support to people of all ages. We recognise that everyone’s situation is unique and therefore pride ourselves in tailoring our training programs to best match the individual needs of each of our clients.
We teach techniques that maximise the engagement level of dogs in order to get the most out of their training program, whilst strengthening the bond clients have with their pet.
We can provide support to clients from the very early stages of choosing an assistance/therapy dog that best suits their specific situation, or we can work with an existing pet dog to develop and continue their training program that enables client’s to get the most benefit out of their animal.
We will work closely with you to explore possible applications, then design and implement a program that best matches your own specific needs.
In addition to designing training programs for individual clients, we develop programs for schools (from early learning through to junior and senior levels), aged care facilities and health care facilities.
We can deliver presentations about mental health, wellbeing, animals, animal behaviour, training techniques and learning theory. Presentations are tailored to suit the specific needs of interested organisations.
Services Overview
To learn more about our each of our services, please select from the links below…
All funds generated from the above services go towards fulfilling the main purpose of the charity.
If you are interested in any of our services, or wish to discuss how we might be able to assist you, please don’t hesitate to contact us:
Service and Therapy Animals Australia Ltd., trading as Service Animals Australia, is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission.
