Now that the corona measures allow it again, our therapy dogs couldn't wait to get back to work actively. It was therefore a busy weekend, packed with sun, smiling faces, and wagging tails.
Great fun at the ball bingo
On Saturday we were guests in Zoutleeuw at the Ter Boogaerde project. Ter Boogaerde offers 18 studios for people with an acquired brain injury or related conditions. Dogs Tiga and Nisa showed off their skills during ball bingo, which was fun for everyone present. Tiga and Nisa also went to play bingo at the Vinkenbosch residential care center in Kermt. They retrieved numbered balls from the ball pit, and with their innocent noses, they determined who the winner was. Excitement guaranteed.
Reading aloud in the asylum
Reading aloud is so nerve-wracking for many children that they freeze up with fear or stress. Reading becomes an almost impossible task for them. Because reading is still a very important skill for children in primary education, the non-profit organization Therapiedier started a successful program with reading dogs. And that program is now being expanded through a partnership with De Zorghoeve in Kortenaken. “Because our reading project with dogs in libraries and schools is such a success, we have now expanded it a bit. By reading aloud to shelter dogs, we also provide them with some variety and exercise,” explains Inge Pauwels, chair of the non-profit organization. “Of course, we will first test the dogs with a team of behavior therapists. Only social dogs will participate in the contact sessions. And secretly, of course, we hope that people will fall in love with ‘their’ shelter reading dog and want to adopt him.” All reading sessions are supervised by trained therapy animal handlers. Elise is a speech therapist and happily guides such sessions. “The dogs just listen. They don't judge, they don't correct, nor do they help if the reading might go a bit slower. That is what children need. Time and trust. The rest often comes naturally.”
Would you like to organize a bingo with a ball draw in your organization? Or do you want more info about our projects with reading dogs? Feel free to take a look at our website: www.therapiedier.be or mail us via info@therapiedier.be
