Support for Promoting Assistance Dogs
In order to "enhance the value of animals and contribute to society," ZENOAQ supports activities to promote assistance dogs.
Legal position of assistance dogs had become clear by the Law Concerning Assistance Dogs and Acceptance of Assistance Dogs enforced in 2004. After that, the dogs had more opportunities to be reported by the media, and people increasingly understood them. Social cognition to assistance dogs until then had been very low. To promote further social participation of the physically challenged with assistance dogs, problems lied in a heap.
In cooperation with the Japanese Assistance Dog Resource Academy, ZENOAQ has been supporting those really in need by assigning priorities.
Human Resource Cultivation and ZENOAQ Scholarship (2002 to 2003)
The first issue was human resource cultivation.
There were various professionals for humans in medical service, welfare, and nursing-care fields, and for animals. However, experts with knowledge and technologies, and experience in both humans and animals were very few. There was a pressing need to foster people who learned the required knowledge and technologies about animals including relations of humans and animals, community hygiene, and veterinary medicine, and who could take a lead role in rehabilitation medical service.
To solve this issue, the Japanese Assistance Dog Resource Academy planned and implemented the long-term assistance dog trainer seminars in the United States and Japan for occupational and physical therapists, They achieved excellent results.
ZENOAQ founded the scholarship system (ZENOAQ Scholarship) for these seminars and backed their activities.
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Final scholarship screening meeting |
Support to establish and manage the Japanese Society of Service Dog Research (since 2004)
The next issue is research.
There are usually continuous trials and errors in raising and using an assistance dog such as breeding, aptitude evaluation, illness that pose a problem as an assistance dog, training methods and rehabilitation engineering.
Moreover, places to present and share the research results to promote assistance dogs were needed including animal welfare and development of laws, environment, etc.
The Japanese Society of Service Dog Research was established as the world's first assistance dog society in 2005. ZENOAQ energetically supported the scientific symposium held in the previous year to prepare for the establishment, and contributed to founding the society.
We still support the society as a sponsor.
 Scientific symposium |
 Society |
Support for activities to secure, raise and breed superior breeding dogs (since 2005)
For assistance dogs, the law was developed and academic exchanges have prospered.
The issue that remains is the "dog."
Assistance dogs have a long-term issue that there is very little supply to demand. In order to increase healthy candidate dogs with an aptitude, it is necessary to secure breeding dogs properly and to breed under an appropriate plan and management.
ZENOAQ fully supports the project to introduce, rear and breed breeding dogs of the Support Dog Association of Japan.
 Delivery of a breeding dog "Belle" |
 The children of "Belle" |
Various promotion activities
We have been striving to enhance understanding of and promote assistance dogs in various ways. We had assistance dog demonstrations in various events in cooperation with breeding organizations. Our staff signed their names to establish and revise the assistance dog law. We provided breeding organizations with help.
In May 2009, Japan's first full-scale comprehensive assistance dog training center "Cynthia's Hill" was completed in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture. We also bear a part of the expenses.
 Demonstration in an event |
 A comprehensive assistance dog training center "Cynthia's Hill" |
For information about assistance dogs, please contact:
