Since we discovered Fundación Bocalán, we have been amazed by all the good things they do for society, a very talented team focused on doing good.
Fundación Bocalán is a non-profit organization with international recognition in the fields of Assistance Dogs and Animal-Assisted Therapy. They are a social entity dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities or social disadvantages by implementing actions with therapy dogs and assistance dogs. Fundación Bocalán's assistance dogs are trained to assist in the daily activities of people with physical disabilities, children with autism, and people with type I diabetes, with the goal of improving their autonomy and quality of life. Assisted Intervention dogs are trained dogs that help people with special needs, assisting them in therapy and promoting their integration into society. Fundación Bocalán has branches in more than 10 countries, with a presence in America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. In Spain, they specialize in autism, physical disabilities, and research projects related to detecting hypoglycemia in people with diabetes. The objective is to unite two-legged and four-legged hearts.
Fundación Bocalán aims to promote the study of human and animal behavior, as well as to disseminate and carry out activities with animals.
It is increasingly common to include animals in the lives of various groups in order for them to function as technical aid and motivational agents for the user. Users suffering from autism, reduced mobility, cerebral palsy, and patients with intellectual disabilities, schizophrenia, Down syndrome, who need psychosocial interventions and school education, are increasingly being treated with an assistance or therapy dog specially trained for these cases. It has also been proven that an Assistance Dog significantly improves the quality of life of each user, while the "furry" companion has a good home and is treated as one of the family.
The life of an assistance dog begins as a puppy. From 45 days old, future assistance dogs go to live with foster families who are responsible for the puppy's socialization during its first year of life. After this time, the dog begins its training period, where, depending on the assistance dog's character, it will be determined if it will be a dog to 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. But the role of Fundación Bocalán does not end here, as throughout the dog's working life, the foundation's professionals carry out periodic follow-ups to ensure the dog maintains its training level, that the user improves their quality of life thanks to the dog, and that the dog enjoys good physical and mental health.
In addition to good socialization and meticulous training, the assistance dog must have good health through regular veterinary check-ups and a diet of high-quality feed. The foundation performs the training and delivery of the assistance dog free of charge to the user, funding our work through contributions from individuals and companies through donations and sponsorships.
At ARISTOPET, we have set out to generate a positive impact with our activity, and that is why we have decided to include Fundación Bocalan within the options available at ARISTOSHOP so that ARISTOPETERS can donate a % of their purchase to this Foundation.