Mobility Dogs

What Mobility Dogs does

Mobility Dogs — legally the Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust, a registered charitable trust (CC24410) founded in 2003 and headquartered in Henderson, Auckland — is a non-profit organisation that trains and places accredited assistance dogs with people living with disabilities across Aotearoa New Zealand. The trust runs three core programmes: Mobility Dogs (public-access assistance dogs trained to open/close doors and drawers, retrieve items, press pedestrian crossings, remove clothing, pay cashiers, brace for falls, and alert bark in danger for clients with physical disabilities); Therapy Dogs (certified dogs placed in professional environments such as courts, schools, dental surgeries, hospitals, and clinical settings); and Companion Dogs (family-integrated support dogs for households with recognised medical needs, without public-access rights). All dogs are trained using positive-reinforcement methods over a roughly two-year production cycle from purchase through placement, at a training cost cited at over NZ$50,000 per dog and a working-lifetime cost over NZ$75,000.

The operating model is a hybrid community-led and sales-led delivery system rather than a commercial enterprise: a captive early-stage training workforce is supplied by the trademarked Puppies in Prison programme at Auckland Region Women's Correctional Facility (a partnership with the Department of Corrections) and a nationwide network of volunteer puppy raisers. Clients receive dogs at no cost after a multi-stage qualification process (Expression of Interest, full application, home visit, and functional assessment via Neuro Rehab Results). Revenue is entirely voluntary: individual donations (one-off and recurring), corporate sponsorships (Armstrong's Group, Chillisoft, National Mini Storage), trust and foundation grants (Foundation North, Lion Foundation, Hugo Charitable Trust, Joyce Fisher Trust, Lottery Grants Board, Lindsay Foundation, ANZ Staff Foundation, NZ Community Trust, Aotearoa Gaming Trust), payroll giving, bequests, and community fundraising events including the annual Dogtober campaign. The trust is one of only three organisations in New Zealand accredited by Assistance Dogs International, a credential it has now held for three consecutive assessment cycles and that confers the public-access rights granted under Section 2 of the Dog Control Act 1996.

With eight paid employees and a current working-dog population of 64, the trust places dogs nationwide through regional trainers in Auckland, Hamilton and Southern Lakes and a Therapy Dog presence extending into Wellington's hospital and high-dependency units. Third-party validation includes ongoing ADI accreditation, a national TV feature on Dog Squad: Puppy School, and a launched nationwide awareness campaign. Funding from the private and community-philanthropic sectors is the trust's sole financial base — the organisation explicitly does not receive government funding.

Name

Mobility Dogs

Legal name

Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust

Website

https://mobilitydogs.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mobility Dogs (Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust) is a New Zealand non-profit charitable trust, accredited by Assistance Dogs International, that trains and places mobility, therapy, and companion dogs free of charge with people living with disabilities, funded entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and regular donations from individuals supporting the organisation's mission. Donations over $5 qualify for charitable donation receipts. Donors can give via bank transfer or online.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships where businesses sponsor puppies or provide ongoing support. Armstrong's Group sponsored a puppy named Armstrong. Includes workplace giving programs and staff fundraising.
3. Puppy Sponsorship: Individuals can sponsor a puppy from as little as $20/month and follow the puppy's progress throughout its training journey.
4. Payroll Giving: Employees can donate regularly through payroll giving, receiving an immediate 33.33 cent tax credit per dollar donated. Employers with IRD electronic filing can offer this programme.
5. Bequests and Gifts in Wills: Individuals can leave a gift to Mobility Dogs in their will as part of estate planning.
6. Fundraising Events: Community fundraising events including bake sales, sausage sizzles, market days, Dogtober campaign, and other creative fundraising initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mobility Dogs is a charitable trust that trains and places accredited assistance dogs with people with long-term physical disabilities across New Zealand, at no cost to the client. The organisation operates three service programmes — Mobility Dogs (public access), Therapy Dogs (placed in professional environments such as courts, schools and hospitals), and Companion Dogs (for families with medical needs) — and runs a volunteer puppy-raising programme plus the Puppies in Prison programme that trains dogs alongside women at Auckland Region Women's Correctional Facility.

Product overview

Mobility Dogs (Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust) is a not-for-profit charitable organization accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) that operates three core service dog programmes: Mobility Dogs (accredited public access dogs for individuals with physical disabilities), Therapy Dogs (for professional therapeutic environments such as courts, schools, and healthcare settings), and Companion Dogs (for families with medical needs). The organization also runs a Puppies in Prison programme and relies on a network of volunteer puppy raisers. Dogs are primarily Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Golden Retriever crosses. Each Mobility Dog costs over $50,000 to train from purchase through placement. The organisation places dogs nationwide across Aotearoa New Zealand and currently has 64 dogs actively working.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobility Dogs Accredited public access assistance dogs trained to perform identifiable physical tasks and behaviours for people living with long-term physical disabilities. Dogs are trained to open/close doors, drawers and cupboards, retrieve dropped items, press pedestrian crossing buttons, remove items of clothing, pay at cashiers, alert bark if the owner is in danger, and act as a brace for falls. Placed at no cost to the client.
• Therapy Dogs Certified therapy dogs placed in professional therapeutic environments including courts, dental surgeries, psychologists' offices, schools, and clinical settings such as Wellington Hospital ICU and High Dependency Unit. These dogs have limited public access specific to their therapeutic role and provide calming support to vulnerable individuals.
• Companion Dogs Dogs placed with families where there is a recognised medical need within the family unit. Companion Dogs have no public access rights and support the whole family rather than a single individual, providing emotional support, routine, and comfort for conditions such as ASD and ADHD.
• Puppies in Prison Programme A trademarked rehabilitation and dog-training programme that pairs women prisoners (wahine) with puppies at Auckland Region Women's Correctional Facility, with typically 6 women and 6-8 dogs at a time. Prisoners train the dogs 24/7 into fully-qualified Mobility Dogs while gaining leadership, problem-solving, teamwork and responsibility skills.
• Sponsor a Puppy A recurring sponsorship programme where individuals sponsor a puppy from $20/month and follow the puppy's progress through training with regular updates. Funds cover the puppy's training, health care, and support during the journey to becoming a fully-qualified assistance dog.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64 dogs actively working across New Zealand
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Corrections NZ (Department of Corrections)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Department of Corrections to operate the Puppies in Prison programme at Auckland Region Women's Correctional Facility. Prisoners (wahine) train dogs 24/7, providing rehabilitation benefits while producing fully-qualified Mobility Dogs.
• Armstrong's Group (Automotive)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of puppy 'Armstrong', including staff visits and community engagement. Armstrong's Group supports local and international athletes, sporting events, and charitable organisations.
• ChillisoftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew Zealand software company supporting Mobility Dogs.
• National Mini StorageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided generous community support enabling upgrades to Mobility Dogs training space, creating an accessible environment for canine companions and clients.
• Neuro Rehab ResultscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNominated provider for functional assessments, offering in-person and Telehealth assessments for Mobility Dogs applicants in Auckland.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mira Foundation: Canadian non-profit that breeds, trains and places service dogs for people with mobility impairments and other disabilities. Comparable as a long-established non-profit service dog organization placing dogs free of charge with people with disabilities.
• Dogs for Good: UK charity training assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities, autism and other needs. Comparable as a non-profit assistance dog organization that places trained dogs at no cost to clients and operates across multiple dog-type programmes.
• Hearing Dogs NZ (Dogs for the Deaf NZ): One of the only three ADI-accredited assistance dog organizations in New Zealand, training dogs to alert deaf and hearing-impaired people. Comparable as a small NZ charitable trust placing publicly-accredited assistance dogs nationwide.
• Puppies Behind Bars: US non-profit that trains prison inmates to raise service dogs for disabled people. Highly comparable for its prison-based dog training programme — the direct conceptual analogue to Mobility Dogs' Puppies in Prison programme.
• Blind Low Vision NZ (Guide Dogs NZ): Operates the Guide Dogs programme in New Zealand and is one of the only other ADI-accredited service dog organizations in the country. Directly comparable as a NZ-based, ADI-accredited mobility/assistance dog charity placing dogs with people who have disabilities at no cost.

Regional players

• Guide Dogs Australia: Federated ANZ charity providing guide dogs and assistance dogs to people who are blind or have low vision. Comparable as an ANZ-region non-profit assistance dog organization with multiple regional training centres and government/corporate funding.
• Assistance Dogs Australia: Australia's leading ADI-accredited assistance dog charity, training mobility, PTSD and autism assistance dogs. Comparable as an ANZ-region non-profit operating a similar volunteer-puppy-raiser model and accredited public access dog placements.
• K9 Assisters: Australian non-profit training assistance dogs specifically for people with physical disabilities. Comparable as a regional, smaller-scale assistance dog charity serving a similar client segment in a neighbouring market.

Broad incumbents

• Canine Companions for Independence: Large US non-profit providing highly trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities at no cost, free of charge to clients. Comparable as a much larger, mature service dog charity operating an analogous volunteer puppy raiser model with ADI accreditation.

Others

• Assistance Dogs International (ADI): Worldwide coalition that establishes and promotes standards of excellence in assistance dog training and accredits member programs. Comparable as the standards-setting body that grants Mobility Dogs its regulatory moat through accreditation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MobilityDogsNZ
• Facebookfacebook.com/MobilityDogsNZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mobilitydogs
• Instagraminstagram.com/MobilityDogsNZ

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mobility Dogs