Richard Lord is the Top Dog of Assistance Dogs Australia, a non-profit organisation that trains Labradors and Golden retrievers to help enhance the quality of life and improve the level of independence for people with disabilities.
Richard has been at the helm of Assistance Dogs for over 10 years during this time he has achieved a high standard of excellence and awareness for the charity which includes some of the Australia and the world’s most innovative service dog programs such as PAWS (Parents Autism Workshops and Support),The Pups in Prison training programs in correctional facilities and Juvenile Justice Centres around Australia including the world first breeding of pups in prison program.
For his work at Assistance Dogs Australia Richard has received the NSW Premiers Achievement award. For his work on behalf of the charity and the program’s he overseas which include many awards for the Pups in Prison Program not in the least the Corrections Victoria Community Work Partnerships award and The NSW Premiers Public Sector award.
Richard holds a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management, a Masters of Education from the University of Technology Sydney and a Graduate Diploma in Special Education from Sydney University. He was one of the members of the inaugural Sydney Leadership program.
Richard has been on the Assistance Dogs International (ADI) board for the past eight years was elected President of in January 2013.He is the founder and chair of ADI Oceania the regional arm of ADI.
Richard also sits on the board of Indigenous Festivals Australia (Crocfest) and My First School, a charity established to promote education to young women in Northern Pakistan. Richard has previously sat on the boards of the NSW Government Ministerial Aged Care Advisory Board, the NSW Ecumenical Churches Housing Board and the Sydney Archdiocese Welfare Committee.
