Expert centre for therapy animals, animal-assisted interventions, assistance dogs, and human–animal professionals.
Therapiedier vzw was founded in 2009 and is committed to the professional, safe, and welfare-focused use of animals in care, education, coaching, and society.
Our mission
We want to strengthen the quality of animal-assisted interventions. We do this by carefully assessing human-animal combinations, expertly guiding organizations, and making knowledge about animal welfare, ethics, and professional practice accessible.
Therapiedier vzw was founded from a desire to make a positive contribution to society through responsible collaboration between people and animals. We were among the early Belgian initiatives to use therapy animals in schools, initially in educational projects on safe interaction with animals and the prevention of bite incidents. Dogs, cats, alpacas, and other animals have been involved.
Over the years, our work has expanded. In addition to active therapy animals that work with their handler for different clients, we now also support emotional support dogs, passive therapy animals, and assistance dogs that are individually trained for one person.
How we work
- advice and guidance on implementing animal-assisted interventions in organisations;
- screening, training, and certification of active therapy-animal teams;
- fitness assessment and co-training of own animals for individual support;
- guidance and follow-up for emotional support dogs, passive therapy animals, and assistance dogs within our own quality framework;
- quality assurance, continuing education, and recertification;
- knowledge sharing through training programs, study days, and publications;
- raising public awareness of professional therapy-animal work.
Our vision
A therapy animal is not a tool without a voice, but a living individual with feelings, needs, preferences, and limits. That is why animal welfare, freedom of choice, suitability, and sustainable deployment are central to everything we do.
Collaboration
For professional training and practice guidance, we work in partnership with Toscanzahoeve. Therapiedier vzw retains a separate role in screening, certification, and quality assurance, based on pre-established criteria and transparent procedures.
Contact and collaboration
Families, organizations, professionals, volunteers, researchers, and partners who want to contribute to quality-oriented and welfare-oriented therapiedierwork are welcome to contact us.