Therapy dogs to help reduce stress in women caregivers

PUNE: Celebrating the international women's day in a unique way, Animal Angels Foundation, a non-governmental organization that conducts animal-assisted therapy sessions for better human well-being, has organized a two-hour session for women caregivers in the city - women who take care of their family members who are bed ridden or with special needs - on Saturday, March 9.
The programme, which has been organized jointly with Caregivers Link, a social forum that provides support to care-giving families and Petsitters, an organisation that provides kennels for pet dogs in the city, will be held at Maan village in Hinjewadi.
Talking about the reasons for organizing the session, Minal Kavishwar of Animal Angels Foundation said the event was an attempt to provide some respite to women caregivers. "Throughout the year, women care for their child with special needs or a bed ridden family member, balancing it with the responsibilities of their homes. Not many people understand the stress they go through. Our programme is an attempt to provide all these mothers, sisters, daughters and wives some carefree time," she explained.
During the event, women would get to participate in fun games with therapy dogs as their partners and would also have sessions in which they would express their feelings to the dog, Kavishwar said, explaining that these exercises would help reduce the caregivers' stress.