About - Service Animals Australia

About Us

Service Animals Australia is a charitable organisation providing Essential Standards for Therapy Dogs nationwide.

Service Animals Australia is a charitable organisation

Assisting individuals struggling to cope with the symptoms of diagnosed mental health conditions and some physical disabilities.

Providing the Essential Standards for Therapy Dogs nationwide

The organisation provides the Essential Standards for Therapy Dogs nationwide.

Specialist dog trainers

Qualified in training assistance dogs, therapy dogs and general dog training throughout Victoria.

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.

Brad is a well regarded animal behaviouralist and dog trainer with extensive experience in; behaviour modification, specific task training, obedience, foundation training and puppy development.
He is a highly experienced assistance dog trainer, specialising in tailoring training programs that centers on understanding an individual’s specific needs and developing tasks to best match their needs.
He has trained therapy dogs and planned effective programs facilitating their integration across a variety of specialised settings.
He is a member of the Royal Society of Victoria, National Dog Trainers Federation and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia.
Brad is registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) and has previously taught at both the secondary and tertiary levels for many years. With his unique combination of experience and qualifications Brad is an expert in understanding and modifying animal behaviour to best match the needs of clients, whilst tailoring and planning effective and individualised programs.
Brad’s goal in establishing Service Animals Australia is to make this type of specialised training and support more accessible.

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.

Mel is an expert in developing individualised programs to enhance wellbeing including social and emotional learning.
She has extensive experience in using intervention strategies to aid and support learners in an engaging and creative manner.
She understands the importance of taking the time to understand the unique needs and strengths of each individual she works with.
She is registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT).
She is experienced in supporting individuals with a range of special needs and is highly skilled in nurturing individual strengths through creative and innovative strategies to motivate learners and facilitate their progress with minimal stress levels.
Mel is a sought after consultant in the integration of therapy dogs within a variety of settings to effectively manage the logistics, animal welfare and occupational health and safety.

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.

We also offer general dog training in Melbourne for groups and individuals.

Services Overview

To learn more about our each of our services, please select from the links below…

Dog Training

We offer Dog obedience training for everyone… feel free to join a group or have your own private class.

Therapy Dog Training

Providing companionship and emotional support for the home.

Assistance Dogs

We train assistance dogs to provide specialised support for people with mental illness and some physical disabilities.

Standards For Therapy Dogs

We train assistance dogs to provide specialised support for people with mental illness and some physical disabilities.

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:

info@serviceanimals.org.au
Or call 0438 770 994

Service and Therapy Animals Australia Ltd., trading as Service Animals Australia, is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission.

Call 0438 770 994

Send us a Message

How Can We Help

If you’re 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, phone or message.

Fast Response

Simply fill out this quick enquiry form, tell us a little bit about your situation, and we’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.