Since discovering The Bocalán Foundation, we have been amazed by all the wonderful things they do for society—a tremendously talented team dedicated to doing good.
The Bocalán Foundation is an internationally renowned nonprofit organization in the fields of Assistance Dogs and Animal-Assisted Therapy. It is a social organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities or in situations of social disadvantage through activities involving therapy dogs and assistance dogs. The assistance dogs of the Bocalán Foundation are trained to help with the everyday activities of people with physical disabilities, children with autism, and people with type I diabetes, with the aim of improving their independence and quality of life. Assisted Intervention dogs are dogs trained to help people with special needs, support them during therapy, and promote their integration into society. The Bocalán Foundation has branches in more than 10 countries, with a presence in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. In Spain, it specializes in autism, physical disabilities, and research projects related to detecting hypoglycemia in people with diabetes. Its aim is to bring together two- and four-legged hearts.
The Bocalán Foundation's purpose is to promote the study of human and animal behavior, as well as to share knowledge about and carry out activities involving animals.
It is increasingly common to include animals in the lives of different groups of people so that they can serve as technical support and motivational agents for users. People with autism, reduced mobility, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, schizophrenia, Down syndrome, and those who need psychosocial and educational interventions at school are increasingly being supported by an assistance or therapy dog specially trained for these situations. It has also been proven that an assistance dog significantly improves each user's quality of life, while the “furry” companion has a loving home and is treated as one more member of the family.
An assistance dog's life begins when it is still a puppy. From the age of 45 days, future assistance dogs go to live with foster families, who are responsible for socializing the puppy during its first year of life. After this period, the dog begins its training, during which its character determines whether it will assist a person with a physical disability, a child with autism, or a person with type I diabetes. After training, the dog goes to live with its user, becoming their inseparable companion. However, the role of the Bocalán Foundation does not end there. Throughout the dog's working life, the foundation's professionals conduct regular follow-ups to ensure that the dog's training remains at the appropriate level, that the user is improving their quality of life thanks to the dog, and that the dog enjoys good physical and mental health.
In addition to good socialization and thorough training, an assistance dog must maintain good health through regular veterinary checkups and a high-quality diet. The foundation provides the training and assistance dog at no cost to the user, funding its work through contributions from individuals and companies in the form of donations and sponsorships.
At ARISTOPET, we have set out to create a positive impact through our work, which is why we have decided to include the Bocalán Foundation among the options available in ARISTOSHOP, so that ARISTOPETERS can allocate a % of their purchase to this foundation.