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| RECENT NEWS |
Animal-Assisted Crisis Response National
Standards Released
March 30, 2010
– Washington, DC
When a local or
national tragedy strikes, emergency response
agencies often call on trained canine teams
to provide emotional comfort to the people
affected. These Animal-Assisted Crisis
Response (AACR) organizations have grown
over the last decade, prompting the
emergency management community to request
that canine crisis response teams have
essential skills, training and knowledge of
disaster relief operations. As a result,
national non-profit organizations Hope AACR
and National AACR announce the publication
and release of the AACR National Standards.
“These standards are
the first of their kind,” said National AACR
President Cindy Ehlers. “They give emergency
response agencies the tools they need to
call on the right AACR teams.” The national
standards address the training, evaluation
and certification of AACR teams, as well as
the organizational structure that should be
in place to manage the teams.
In addition, they cover the care and
health of the canines, ensuring for their
safety. “When
emergency response agencies call on AACR
teams that follow the national standards,
they will know that they are getting teams
that are not only committed to helping
people, but are also experienced in crisis
response,” said Hope AACR President Amy
Rideout.
AACR teams have provided emotional support
to people affected by disaster since the
1990s. They have been deployed to some of
the country’s most horrific disasters such
as New York City following the 2001
terrorist attacks, Louisiana after Hurricane
Katrina, Texas after Hurricane Ike, and to
both the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois
University campus shootings. “Of all the
post trauma resources available at Virginia
Tech, including roving ‘mental-health
workers,’ religious groups, group counseling
sessions, etc., I found the therapy dogs to
be the most useful,” wrote KC Arceneaux,
Virginia Tech professor in a letter thanking
National AACR for their support after the
tragedy. “It’s ok to smile at a dog, even
when everyone is grieving.”
“Their tireless work, positive attitude and
professionalism far exceeded my
expectations,” said Kristy Lohr, director of
crisis outpatient services following
Hurricane Ike. “I could not have asked for a
better team of dogs and adults. They brought
with them overwhelming peace and support.”
National AACR and Hope AACR represent a
voluntary network of specially-trained,
canine and handler teams. These
organizations partner with disaster mental
health and emergency response agencies to
provide emotional rescue, recovery and
on-going support to individuals who have
been affected by crisis and disaster.
For to view the document,
click here. To learn more about
AACR member, go to
www.animalassistedcrisisresponse.org or
www.hopeaacr.org
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'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
March 18, 2010 - U.S. News & World Report - Health
See article here |
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Rocky Mountain News:
Celebrate Community: Calming paws
March 15, 2010 - Billings Gazette -
Billings, MT
Article and video reports regarding
Rocky Mountain Region teams!
See article here
View video here |
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HOPE AACR Prepares for
Certification Workshops
January 31, 2010
- Four regions of HOPE AACR are preparing for training
crisis response teams in 2010. The first of the
four certification
training workshops will be held in Erie, Pennsylvania
from June 11 to the 13th. The Southeast Region
will conduct a workshop from July 9th to the 11th in
Alpharetta, Georgia. The next workshop will be
held in Bozeman, Montana, conducted from August 20 to
the 22nd. The last workshop of the year will be
held in Costa Mesa, California, from October 9 to the
11th. People interested in
learning more about how to join HOPE AACR are encouraged
to contact the nearest region for more information. |
| NOTABLE
PAST NEWS EVENTS |
HOPE Teams Deploy to Help
Those Affected by Flooding in Georgia
September 25, 2009
- Teams from the Southeast region have been deployed to
a Red Cross shelter in Cobb County to comfort those
displaced by heavy flooding. Several teams have been
working at the shelter helping to provide some relief for
hundreds of people.
Audio report:
http://newsroom.redcross.org/2009/09/27/american-red-cross-audio-report-2/ |
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HOPE Teams deploy to
"Station Fire" Base Camp in California
September 4, 2009
- Teams from the Pacific Southwest region visited the
"Station Fire" base camp located at Hansen Dam near Los
Angeles on September 4 & 5. The purpose of HOPE teams
visiting base camps is to thank firefighters for their
service and to give them a bit of R&R by interacting with
their dogs. The Station Fire is the largest wildfire
in the history of Los Angeles County with more than 155,000
acres burned to date. |
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MAGAZINE ARTICLES ABOUT HOPE AACR |
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• Just Labs
- November/December 2007 Issue |
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• Interactions
(by Delta Society) - November/December 2007 |
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•
Virginia Department of Transportation
Profiles HOPE Member Dawn Eischen & Ginger |
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http://www.virginiadot.org/about/bulletin/2007/July-Aug/vdot-in-profile.asp |
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