Therapeutic help from man's best friend

Lisa Bryden

Ottawa, Ont.

It's tempting to say that organizers are hoping to orchestrate a nationwide, exuberant woof.

Or at least give a voice to a growing health care sector known as animal-assisted support services.

It's the ambitious goal of a 3-day national conference this spring that organizers hope will elevate standards related to the use and accessibility of animal assistance, as well as awareness that the health of many patients, particularly seniors and people with disabilities, can benefit immeasurably from the ministrations and talents of the canine and other service animal communities. Moss, a former child-care worker who branched off to become an animal-assisted therapy practitioner, created the organization, formerly known as the Canadian Alliance for Animal-Assisted Services, in 1998 in hopes it would lead to some manner of national accreditation and regulatory body (CMAJ 1998;159[3]: 213). Those hopes have since been scaled back and the organization has evolved into a public foundation, receiving its charitable status in 2005. "The reason we changed it was because people were getting the wrong impression," says Moss. "People were thinking: who is this organization? Are they a regulatory body?"

The foundation now has as its primary objective the goal of improving the accessibility and the quality of animal assistance for those who need it: seniors, people with disability and others. Moss says the Foundation will strive to bring together individuals and organizations, including health care professionals and veterinarians, to trade techniques.

It's taken a number of years for the foundation to "get a real sense of where we can make a difference and where we would not be repeating services," Moss says. In 2007, the foundation became a member of both the Canadian Health Network and the Health Technology Exchange. "We're now moving into the next stage. ... We're looking at it from a community development perspective as well as from the voluntary sector perspective." The foundation will also seek to develop resources to help build the capacity of the community, so that funding may be available to small providers for things like professional development and insurance coverage.

It's a catalytic role, Moss adds. "It's really about identifying the strengths and the opportunities and the common ground to build from."

The 3-day "Bridge Builders Event," to be held in Kemptville, Ontario, Apr. 25-27, will include workshops, presentations and service exhibits. "We're hoping that we're going to get representation from all 3 different areas" and make it an annual event, says Moss. The foundation also hopes others step up to the organizational plate. "We don't want it to become a foundation event. We want it to become an animal-assisted support services community event."