We received a visit from a delegation from the company Elanco, led by Mr. Juan Pascual, vice president for France, Iberia and Italy, with the aim of learning first-hand about the dog-assisted therapy that we offer to people with acquired brain damage, an activity that is highly valued by our patients and starring the dog Zen, a golden retriever specially trained for this type of intervention.

This therapeutic activity, which we develop in collaboration with the Discan association, benefits 45 patients annually and is also indicated for people with severe or minimally responsive DCA as it contributes to improving their social and communication skills, favoring the creation of positive emotional bonds.

Elanco, a company dedicated to animal welfare, assumes the cost of this therapeutic activity thanks to the collaboration agreement signed two years ago, thus reaffirming its commitment to the Guttmann Institute.

This initiative is also aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals such as SDG 3 since therapy with dogs is to improve the health and well-being of people with DCA and SDG 17 since the collaboration between the 3 institutions promotes an initiative of social and therapeutic value.

And it is also based on principles included in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, especially regarding the right to health (art. 25) offering specialized care adapted to their needs and the right to rehabilitation (art. 26) since it is a cognitive, emotional and communicative rehabilitation service that improves the autonomy of patients.