The dogs will help the children who have returned to school after the lockdown

The first Dog Therapy project in schools is born, promoted by For a Smile Onlus, to help children reintroduce themselves after lockdown.

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The return to school with the new anti-Covid rules can turn into a real nightmare for children, already put to the test by the lockdown and online lessons. Precisely in this period of chaos for the world of education (and beyond) the first national Dog Therapy project in schools is born, which brings four-legged friends to meet the children of kindergartens, primary and lower secondary schools. There are several schools in Milan, Turin and Rome that have enthusiastically welcomed the initiative promoted by For a smile Onlus, a non-profit organization that for over 13 years has been carrying out projects dedicated to children and families and which promotes the initiative at a national level "One paw is enough" of Dog Therapy in hospitals.

The benefits of Dog Therapy

The pandemic has forced children to spend their days at home, deprived of sociality, their routine, physical activities and outdoors. The psycho-social damages inherited from the lockdown are many and now recognized and today the school is struggling to embrace, at least virtually, the insecurities and fears that these children carry with them. Why not help them make them feel comfortable thanks to the presence of loving puppies?

Something extraordinary always happens when a child sees a four-legged friend running towards him. Curiosity arises and the desire to play and get to know each other. This is why we are committed to donating Dog Therapy in hospitals and wherever it is needed ”, explains Ludovica Vanni, President and Founding Member of For a Smile Onlus.

The Dog Therapy intervention in schools will work on emotional-affective mechanisms aimed at lowering the level of stress linked to this specific period, of insertion and post isolation. These are playful-recreational and socialization activities through which the correct human-animal interaction is promoted. The goal of the "Basta una Zampa" project by For a smile Onlus aims at improving the quality of life and increasing the well-being of children, activating and supporting their individual growth and planning resources, and offering a different experience in school routine.

The numerous benefits of Pet Therapy have long been renowned. Through social interaction with a specially trained animal, these paths aim at improving the experience from different points of view: increase in self-confidence, processing of verbal and non-verbal language in communication, sense of protection in a phase dominated by uncertainty, emotional release valve, improvement of some motor aspects, improvement of team spirit and facilitation of insertion in the classroom.

These initiatives are particularly suitable for children living in fragile contexts, for children with disabilities, with autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dog Therapy meetings: how they will be organized

Dog Therapy meetings in schools will see groups of 6-7 children (in compliance with Covid restrictions) or whole classes in the outdoor spaces. The playful courses will be built according to the needs of the group and defined by the professional operators together with the teachers, the school psychologist and the families. The initiative will last for the entire school year (from October to May) and will be totally donated by For a smile Onlus to schools, giving priority to contexts with particular difficulties in insertion and integration.

Leading the meetings will be IAA certified operators (Animal Assisted Interventions - Dog Therapy), accompanied by their cute four-legged friends educated for activities with children.

But the commitment of For a smile Onlus does not stop there. Among the next objectives of For a smile Onlus there is also the launch of
activities in equestrian centers, in museums to combine Pet Therapy and art, at birthday parties.

Source: For a smile Onlus 

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