Robotic pet, assistance dog or therapy animal: how the NDIS treats each

The NDIS treats each of these differently. An assistance animal trained by an accredited provider to perform at least 3 tasks can be funded when it is reasonable and necessary, and animal-assisted therapy run by a qualified health professional can be paid from therapy funding. Pets, companion animals, emotional support animals and recreational animal activities are generally not NDIS supports. A robotic pet is not an animal at all, so the only route for it is low-cost assistive technology.

Five kinds of animal support compared

• Assistance animal, such as a dog guide: what it is: An animal trained by an accredited provider for public behaviour and at least 3 disability-related tasks; NDIS position: Can be funded if reasonable and necessary; where the money comes from: Funding stated in the plan for the animal; evidence the NDIS wants: An assessment by a qualified assessor and a quote that includes care and accreditation costs.
• Animal-assisted therapy: what it is: A qualified therapist uses their own animal as a tool in goal-directed therapy; NDIS position: Can be an NDIS support; where the money comes from: Therapy funding, within the maximum hourly rate; evidence the NDIS wants: The usual tests for therapy: related to the disability, in line with the plan, value for money.
• Animal therapy activities: what it is: Puppy visits, horse riding and other recreational time with animals; NDIS position: Not an NDIS support; where the money comes from: Personal money, though a support worker to help with the activity may be funded; evidence the NDIS wants: None, as the activity itself is not funded.
• Pet, companion or emotional support animal: what it is: An animal kept for company or informal emotional support; NDIS position: Generally not an NDIS support, including food, vet bills and pet insurance; where the money comes from: Personal money; evidence the NDIS wants: None.
• Robotic pet: what it is: A battery or rechargeable device that responds to touch and sound; NDIS position: May be bought as low-cost AT when it meets a disability-related need; where the money comes from: Usually the Consumables budget; evidence the NDIS wants: A goal link, and ideally an allied health recommendation.

The sources are the NDIS pages on assistance animals and animal-assisted therapy, and Schedules 1 and 2 of the NDIS supports rules.

What makes an assistance animal?

The NDIS describes assistance animals as specially trained by accredited providers to help with things a person cannot do because of their disability. The animal must reach a high level of obedience in public places such as train stations and shopping centres, and perform at least 3 tasks or behaviours the person cannot do themselves. Examples on the NDIS page include opening doors and fridges, picking up dropped items, pressing the button at traffic lights, guiding a person through crowds, and reassuring them in times of extreme anxiety, such as helping them leave home.

The supports rules use the term eligible assistance animal. It covers a dog or other animal accredited under a state or territory law, accredited by a prescribed animal training organisation, accredited by a registered NDIS provider registered to provide assistance animals, or trained to assist the person and to meet hygiene and behaviour standards suited to a public place. Schedule 1 lists what the NDIS can fund for such an animal: assessment, matching and provision, food, grooming, vet care including flea and worm treatment and vaccinations, and yearly reviews to keep its accreditation.

Before funding one, the NDIS looks at the animal’s welfare, whether it could harm the person or others, and whether the person already has an assistance animal. Pet insurance, taxidermy and pet cremation or burial are excluded.

Animal-assisted therapy and animal therapy are not the same

These two sound alike but sit on opposite sides of the funding line.

Animal-assisted therapy is therapy first. A psychologist, counsellor or occupational therapist includes an animal in structured sessions aimed at the person’s goals, for example to help them stay calm during counselling or to build physical skills. The NDIS says the animal usually belongs to the therapist, and the person usually sees it only during sessions. The therapy can be paid from therapeutic support funding if it relates to the disability, fits the plan, is value for money and costs less than the maximum hourly rate.

Animal therapy is the NDIS name for activities that give people a positive experience with animals but are not goal-centred or part of an evidence-based treatment plan: spending time with puppies, riding a horse, or social and sporting activities with animals. Schedule 2 of the supports rules places animal therapy, including puppy therapy and goat therapy, in its list of therapies that are not evidence based. Funding cannot pay for these activities, though a support worker or assistive product to help someone take part may be funded.

Pets, companion animals and emotional support animals

The NDIS says animals kept for company or fun, and animals that provide emotional and informal support, do not meet the definition of an assistance animal. Schedule 2 lists animals, including pets and companion animals other than eligible assistance animals, as generally outside the NDIS, along with their food, vet costs, boarding and grooming.

So an emotional support dog is treated as a pet unless it has been trained and accredited as an assistance animal. Reassuring a person during extreme anxiety is one of the trained tasks the NDIS lists, which is why some people with psychosocial disability do have a funded assistance dog. Our psychosocial disability FAQ covers the research on robotic pets for that group.

Where does a robotic pet sit?

Every definition above starts with an animal, so a robotic pet cannot be an assistance animal, and buying one is not animal therapy. It can only be considered as low-cost assistive technology. Retail listings put the companion cat at $259 to $300 and the pup at $269 to $315, so both fall below the $1,500 ceiling for low-cost AT. Our guide on whether the NDIS can fund a robotic pet sets out the tests, and our page on the NDIS supports lists explains why the invoice should not read like a pet or toy purchase.

Point	Assistance dog	Robotic pet
Trained tasks	At least 3, such as picking up items or guiding	None
Daily care	Feeding, grooming, exercise, vet visits	Batteries or charging, brushing the fur
Evidence to fund	Assessor’s report and a quote	A goal link; an allied health note helps
Ongoing costs	Food, grooming, vet care and yearly accreditation reviews, which the NDIS can fund	Replacement batteries or power for charging; ask your plan manager how to treat them

Questions to ask before you choose

1. Does the person need tasks done, or comfort and something to hold? Tasks point to an assistance animal; comfort may suit a robotic pet.
2. Can the household care for a live animal every day, including when the person is unwell?
3. Is a therapist already using animal-assisted therapy, and would a robotic pet support that work between sessions?
4. Does anyone in the home have allergies, or a rental agreement that limits animals?
5. Would the person feel comfortable taking a robotic pet out in public?

For autistic children and adults, our page on robotic pets for autism and anxiety covers product choice and the evidence.

What to do next

If an assistance animal is the better fit, talk to your planner or support coordinator about an assistance animal assessment. If a robotic pet suits, ask for a quote on a robotic cat or pup as an alternative to a live animal and tell us how the plan is managed.

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