New joint research project with Monash University

Dear Puppy Carers,

Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs (SED) is teaming up with Monash University for an ethics approved project. This will investigate how people feel towards the dogs in their care and how they feel towards other people. This important research is entirely confidential and the data submitted will not be utilised for any other purposes.

We are inviting all SED approved Carers who fit the following criteria to complete an online confidential questionnaire:

• Carers who have had the same SED puppy in their care for 10 months.

• Carers who have care-taking responsibilities at the time of survey participation (an exception to this will be if SED approved Carer is on holiday or temporarily unable to care for the SED puppy and SED puppy is being cared for by a SED foster carer).

• Carers who have not spent more than one month apart from their puppy at the time of survey.

If you are ellegible, you will receive an email shortly.

Your responses will help us advance the understanding a dogs’ role has, in human-dog relationships. This may benefit the community and be relevant to improving assistance dog puppy assessment and training. Please note that no identifying information about yourself will be collected, and so your participation is completely voluntary and anonymous. Raw data will be handled by Monash University researchers only, however aggregate results will be provided to, and disseminated by SED.

We appreciate your cooperation,

The Team at Seeing Eye Dogs