It’s official. Bandit the cat is the ACT’s first feline to be accredited as an assistance animal. It took 13 months to claw through the ACT Government’s registration process (it took one month in NSW) but the moggy has made history and, more importantly, helped Canberra man “Boat” deal with PTSD.
Boat announced the news on social media, proudly displaying his brand new registration card with a photo ID of himself and Bandit.
“We started the certification process in December 2022 and submitted all the paperwork in March 2023 and have been waiting ever since,” Boat said. “The ACT has some very interesting and very specific requirements because of the way they’ve put their legislation together to meet a higher level of certification.”
Bandit needed an ACT Government authority to certify that she was hygienic, had completed therapy training, and passed a public access test (PAT).
“In NSW it took about a month to approve but in the ACT… We went backwards and forwards and the government told me, ‘we don’t have anybody who’ s qualified in Canberra to deal with cat training or can sign-off on a cat public access test’,” Boat said. “They kept putting me off continually until I actually had to put in a complaint to the Chief Minister and [Human Rights Minister] Tara Cheyne, saying this is taking too long. The normal time for dog to go through the system is about four weeks.”
The ACT Government then brought in a specialist in feline behaviour from Newcastle to conduct the PAT for Bandit. With his new accreditation, Bandit can now hold her tail high at Canberra’s shopping centres, restaurants and public transport.
An ACT Government spokesperson acknowledged the important role assistance animals play in supporting people with disabilities to live independent lives.
“There are currently no trainers and assessors for cats in the Canberra region who are accredited under the ACT Assistance Animal Framework. Applicants are required to use accredited trainers and assessors who reside interstate, which can cause delays to the application process,” the spokesperson said.
Boat said Bandit had helped him “enormously”.
“I was involved in law enforcement and the 2000 bushfires, then in the frontline of Covid, so I had five or six years of disasters that had a huge mental impact,” he said. “She gave me focus, comfort and support, she allowed me to connect to people and the community in a different manner. “
The ACT Government encourages people with qualifications in feline behaviour, training and assessment to apply to become an accredited trainer and assessor. Contact: Domestic Animal Services on 13 22 81.
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