Fast Facts

Who we are

Since 1960 Guide Dogs Queensland has been a leader in the provision of quality mobility services to Queenslanders, of all ages, with low or no vision. We are the only agency providing the complete range of orientation and mobility programs and services to Queenslanders with low or no vision - all free of charge.

Guide Dog Queensland’s Breeding and Training Centre is based at 1978 Gympie Rd, Bald Hills, Brisbane.
Guide Dogs Queensland has seven regional offices throughout the State - the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Toowoomba.
We aim to educate, equip and empower blind and vision impaired people with the skills they need to live full and independent lives.

Our Services

All services, including Guide Dogs, are provided at no cost.
We provide Guide Dogs but the majority of clients come to us for orientation and mobility training in aids such as the White Cane and to access the latest technology.
Orientation and Mobility Instructors provide Rehabilitation Services to over 1500 clients statewide.
Those services include support groups, counselling, low vision clinics, specialised student programs, orientation and mobility training.
Blindness is primarily an age-related condition and demand for our services is increasing rapidly due to the ageing population. (It will double in the next 15 years).
GDQ has trained 41 GDQ UltraCane (a technologically advanced primary mobility aid) users in QLD.
GDQ has trained 16 GPS Trekker and GPS Breeze users (a hand-held Global Positioning System) in QLD.
There are 30 Low Vision Support Groups, throughout the State, which GDQ services support.
Rehabilitation Services Orientation and Mobility instructors travel over 110,000km each year, providing support programs and training statewide.

Guide Dogs

Throughout Queensland there are over 80 clients, with low or no vision, who use a Guide Dog as their primary mobility aid. One client can have up to four Guide Dogs in a lifetime.
We currently have more than 20 dogs in the Guide Dog training program, and over 80 pups, annually, being raised in the community by volunteer Puppy Raisers.
Not every dog makes it through the training program but our success rate is in line with international standards (around 65 per cent).
There are about 10 clients, who are on the waiting list for a Guide Dog.
There are on average about 15 new Guide Dog teams who graduate each year.
Guide Dogs Queensland aims to breed 100 new puppies annually.
Our Guide Dog colony includes 17 broods and 4 studs, and we also source frozen semen from leading international Guide Dog Schools.

Our Funding

GDQ receives less than 7 per cent in government funding to provide some specific fee for service programs.
We recieve no funding for the breeding and training of our Guide Diogs, nor do we receive any government funding for our services in regional and rural QLD.
However, all our services are provided free-of-charge, including our Guide Dogs, which cost more that $30,000 each to breed and train.
Guide Dogs Queensland relies on puppy sponsorship, commercial activities, fundraising and volunteer programs to offer our life-changing services.
Each dollar you donate supports our services. We cover operational costs with commercial activities such as our op shop, catalogue sales, and art unions.

Our Future

GDQ is raising funds, through a Major Gift Program, towards the major redevelopment of our Breeding and Training Centre, which we estimate will cost $10 million. Staged over the next six years, the redevelopment will see:

The GDQ kennels and whelping blocks double in size;
10 new rooms added to the GDQ Client Residence;
The Centre of Mobility Excellence created; and
Pet and Veterinary Hospital, which will offer temporary accommodation for pets of GDQ bequest donors.