Description
The purpose of the project is to give NGO Family Project and its partners opportunity to gain additional knowledge and practical skills for rehabilitation of children with disabilities using a Canis-Therapy method. The Canis-Therapy is a supportive therapy method, which uses dogs for rehabilitation of physically challenged children and leads to positive changes in their health and behavior. This method is widely used in the world, but not in Estonia. NGO Viimsi`s Society for People with Disabilities, NGO Assistance Dog Center, Ida-Virumaa`s Dog`s Friend`s club LUCKY are the partners of the project. The participants of the project will visit the organizations in Poland and Russia, which have several years of experience in the field of Canis-Therapy to gain knowledge and later implement new methods in Estonia. There will be two seminars held in Estonia for future canistheropists and a group of volunteers, which are interested in further developing Canis-Therapy in Estonia
Summary of project results
Canis-Therapy is a method of supportive therapy, which uses dogs for rehabilitation of physically challenged children and leads to positive changes in their health and behavior. This method is widely used in the world, but not in Estonia. The purpose of the project was to give NGO Family Project and its partners an opportunity to gain additional knowledge and practical skills for rehabilitation of children with disabilities using the Canis-Therapy method. For this NGO Family project cooperatated with two organizations that work with dogs in Ida-Viru county and in Tallinn as well as with NGO Viimsi`s Society for People with Disabilities. Two seminars were held in Estonia for the future canistherapists and the base was prepared for the future studies and practice.The participants of the project also visited organizations which have several years of experience in the field of Canis-Therapy in Poland and Russia. In these study-visits the project partners gained knowledge of canis-therapy implementation in other countries. As a result of the project the new rehabilitation method for Estonian children was launched - the Canis-therapy. 15 canistherapists were trained and 13 dogs were approved who will continue using Canis-therapy in Estonia. The main beneficiars are the children with special needs and people who deal with them (doctors, families etc.). In addition, a group of volunteers was formed who will further contribute to the development of Canis-therapy in Estonia.
Summary of bilateral results