LA CAPE / Facebook
Created almost 7 months ago by a former Toulouse firefighter, an association wants to train assistance dogs to help people suffering from post-traumatic stress. A first puppy is currently in training. The organization hopes to receive enough support to train 18 per year.
Attacks , armed conflicts , risky interventions … These violent events, like so many others, can leave extremely deep psychological consequences for those who have experienced them. People sometimes marked for life and then suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder . In North America, dogs are specially trained to assist these victims and help them return to a more peaceful existence.
This is precisely what Benjamin Borg , a 34-year-old Toulouse resident, wants to implement in France. To do this, last June he created the Cape association (Assistance dogs for people with post-traumatic stress), as reported by Le Parisien . A project that he had the idea to launch upon his return to the Pink City in 2019.
Dogs educated to help those who have experienced major trauma
Former marine firefighter in Marseille , Benjamin Borg has seen more than one colleague experience a real ordeal on a daily basis because of trauma suffered following extremely dangerous operations. He cites in particular the example of a colleague who intervened in the attack on the Jewish college-high school Ozar Hatorah in March 2012, and who is still followed by a psychologist today. He also mentions this statistic revealed in 2019: 6 out of 10 children who experienced the attack of July 14, 2016 in Nice are subject to post-traumatic stress.
Firemen, but also soldiers , police officers , members of the nursing staff and victims of terrorist attacks are those that Benjamin Borg would like to help by entrusting them with assistance dogs trained by the Cape . He is currently training Rio , a 6 month old Golden Retriever , for this noble mission. He hopes to raise enough funds to ensure the training of a second dog and thus entrust the 2 quadrupeds to people who need them in the course of the coming year.
A healthy and promising project, awaiting funding
In the longer term, he wants to recruit a dog trainer and train 18 dogs each year , which will be able to improve the lives of as many families. For this, Benjamin Borg needs donations , knowing that the cost representing the acquisition, education, training and maintenance of a single dog amounts to 25,000 euros .
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