Following the unexpected passing of our previous therapy dog, Mo'os, the Fundacion Waibi donated a new therapy dog to Adisa. After five years of observed success with Mo'os, we made the decision to continue with our Animal Assisted Therapy program. This project will allow us to pay the costs of assisted animal therapy sessions so that our new therapy dog, Argos, can provide weekly animal therapy to 20 children with disabilities in Santiago Atitlan.
In the Santiago Atitlan region of Guatemala, Adisa attends to 20 children with sensory disabilities that are unable to concentrate in normal therapy sessions. Children with down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other forms of multiple disabilities do not receive adequate attention at home and cannot learn through standard therapy practice.
With the help of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), children spend their time petting the therapy dog and hardly realize that they are participating in therapy. Weekly assisted animal therapy will help refine and develop basic behavioral, motor, sensory and learning skills according to the needs of each child. Every week, Argos and our animal therapy specialist, Anelvi, will travel to the local communities of each child to work with these children.
Assisted animal therapy will allow these children to develop basic skills so that they can attend school, and live a fulfilling life. Therapy at an early age allows children to gain the skills necessary to achieve their independence in the long run.
