This poodle pack have a very important job - they are assistance dogs that allow their owners to live safer, more independent lives.
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They're also helping educate staff at Ballarat Health Services about BHS's new assistance dogs policy, and helping the general public understand more about assistance dogs and what they can and can't do.
Unlike guide dogs or therapy dogs, assistance dogs help only their owner and are trained for specific tasks to help make that person's life easier and safer.
BHS has launched new guidelines for staff on management of assistance dogs, after staff noticed more patients coming in with their support animals.
BHS social worker Mark O'Brien worked with members of the Ballarat Assistance Dog Handler Support Group over the past 18 months to come up with a service-wide policy.
"We found we didn't have a policy ... and assistance animals are now more prevalent," Mr O'Brien said.
"It's very relevant to make sure we recognise our mutual obligation for us as a health service and how we work with handlers and dogs, to make sure they are able to access health care.
"Under the law we need to recognise the right of access for assistance animals - they are there for reason, not as pet but as a working animal here to support a person to be able to access services and live a safe and more independent life."
Assistance dogs generally wear a harness or collar, have a public access certificate and often have their own public transport access card.
BADHSG members Julie Scott, Margaret Cockram and Neal Salan spent three days at BHS this week with their assistance dogs Kodi, Bobby, Katy and assistance dog-in-training Freya to talk to staff, patients and visitors about assistance dogs.
"Not all disabilities are visible. You can't tell that somebody is deaf by looking, or that they have diabetes, epilepsy or a mental illness, but dogs can help with these things," Ms Cockram said.
Ms Cockram has epilepsy, PTSD and bipolar and her dogs Bobby and Katy help detect seizures up to 40 minutes before they occur, and can sense when she begins to feel overwhelmed and at risk of a panic attack.
"My Bobby has literally saved my life twice in the last year. In the event of a medical emergency, he knows to go to the Safety Link console in my kitchen and hit the red button on the console, wait for voices, bark and then they know to send an ambulance," she said.
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"I have had falls. If I had tried to crawl to the console, I would have increased the damage. My ankle, tibia and fibula were not only broken but dislocated cutting off vital support to nerves and blood supply. As it was I almost lost nerve and blood supply to my ankle and foot."
Ms Scott has diabetes, bipolar, anxiety and depression and Kodi, 2, who she has had since he was nine weeks old, gives her the support to be about to get out in the community.
If he senses her blood sugar levels are not right, he will lick her hand and if that does not make her act, he climbs on her and keeps licking.
"If I'm not feeling like I want to go to the doctor because I'm anxious, people will focus on him not me which makes it easier for me to get out," she said.
The policy outlines the rights of patients to have their assistance dogs with them, how they and the dogs should be treated, and gives clarity to all staff surrounding official assistance dogs.
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