On October 12th, Victim Support Europe (VSE) in collaboration with FYDO network partners (Dog4Life, Viaduq67, Handi’Chiens, Canisha, Hachiko and University College Cork) held the successful webinar ‘Fur-ever Friends: FYDO Dogs Supporting Victims of Crime’, with roughly 80 attendees.
With an introduction by Aleksandra Ivankovic, VSE deputy director, speakers from Canisha, Hachiko, Dogs4Life and Viaduq 67 covered the achievements and applications of facility dogs. Research has shown that dogs can reduce a person’s anxiety by promoting a safe feeling and providing contact-comfort, and therefore reduce the risk of secondary victimisation for the victims. Specific applications of FYDO dogs were explored, and testimonies from victims on the positive effects of these dogs were also given. Standards and guidelines for the training of a FYDO dog were discussed.
The future of the FYDO project was another major point of interest and attendees learned of the process of starting this initiative in their own countries. Lastly, a Q&A session took place where participants had the space to explore any questions about the FYDO network.
VSE would like to thank the partners, speakers and participants for contributing to a webinar that was both intriguing and engaging. We hope that FYDO can be extended to as many places as possible, so that victims can have access to a higher level of support to ease their distress.
Wish to learn more about the FYDO project? Read more here.
