More people will be eligible for assistance dogs

Zagreb - Parliamentarians on Thursday welcomed the adoption of a law on the use of assistance dogs which, they believe, will increase the number of disabled people who are eligible for assistance or therapy dogs and enable a larger number of dogs to be included in training programmes.

It has become obvious that the law on the use of guide dogs for the blind adopted some 20 years ago needed a more modern legislative framework, state secretary in the Ministry of Social Policy and Demography Marija Pletikosa said.

The new law regulates support provided by assistance or therapy dogs for disabled persons, patients suffering from chronic illnesses and children with development disabilities. More people will be eligible for canine assistance and more dogs will be included in training programmes.