I want to introduce myself. I am Natalie Allouche, I live in Louisiana , USA . I am a Registered Nurse for 17 years and a Certified Humane Education Specialist. I started a group called "BROTHERS in ARMS", in honour of my two oldest sons, Adar Z"L and Yonadav Z"L. I work primarily with youth at risk in the school system and run a group twice a week. My therapy animal is Ed, my English Mastiff. I raise them.
He is Certified with the "National Association of Animal Assisted Crisis Responders." We also are registered with the Delta Society as a pet partner team. I would love to learn more about what is happening in Israel in this area. Thank you
Sincerely,
Natalie R.Y. Allouche
Welcome to the site of the Israeli Association for Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy. You are invited to read about what is the field here in Israel. In addition, we would be happy to receive your comments and reactions concerning the status of AAP here in Israel, what is happening in the field in your country, and to open up an international dialogue in the field.
I visited Israel a few years back and totally fell in love with the country and people, but I was very upset by the number of feral cats I saw. Related to animal assisted therapy, is there anything being done to remedy the plight of the feral kitties in Israel?
You are right - it is a problem. There has been for the last couple of years a campaign to spay and castrate feral cats. Each municipality is responsible for raising funds, which are used to hire vets for a minimum fee for the operation. The tip of an ear is nipped off as a sign that the cat has been taken care of, and then the cat is released back to the same area from which he was taken. In my area, many of us donate returnable bottles and cans and the deposits are used to fund this project. There is an appreciably smaller number of feral cats in my area since the beginning of the campaign.
