Seminar on service dogs for people with disabilities through funds for voluntary organisations.
Government with a grant of €15,000 to finance the training of another service dog.
The Service Dogs Malta Foundation organised a seminar with the aim of providing more knowledge and information about service dogs in the community, particularly in order to get the message out that these types of dogs are not just guide dogs. This was done through an investment of almost €5,000 as part of the funds allocated by the Small Initiatives Support Scheme (SIS) administered by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS).
The Minister for Inclusion and Volunteering Julia Farrugia was invited to this conference. The seminar, themed ‘Service Dogs in our everyday lives – looking into the future’, included a number of experiences from people who use these service dogs and interventions from experts in this field, including Jennifer Ceia, Director for Training and Placement of Assistance Dogs from the Silver Centre in Zagreb, Croatia.
There were also interventions from the Minister for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector Julia Farrugia, the Chief Executive of the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector Mauro Pace Parascandalo, the Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability Rhoda Garland and also from Aġenzija Sapport.
Minister for Inclusion and Voluntary Sector Julia Farrugia announced that the Government will be allocating €15,000 to finance the training of another service dog in Malta. “This grant marks an important step that will continue to strengthen the local capacity to provide these specialized services. These dogs not only provide practical assistance to persons with disabilities, but also provide security, independence and emotional companionship. Their benefits go beyond physical assistance as these dogs help the person to feel a full part of society and live a life with dignity and respect,” concluded the Minister, while thanking the Service Dogs Malta Foundation for their work and continued commitment to promoting inclusion and offering concrete support to persons with disabilities in the community.
Joseph Stafrace, co-founder and Operations Manager of the Service Dogs Malta Foundation, stressed that through the financial assistance we are receiving from the Ministry as well as from the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector, the Service Dogs Malta Foundation will be in a position to continue offering its assistance to train more dogs that help improve the quality of life of people in need. In addition, this conference gave the opportunity to a number of service users to share their experiences, as well as being given information about the care and benefits that service dogs offer.
Photo: MIV
