This is to tell you a little about our friend, KaBoom the Greyhound, in Ottawa, Canada. I’m telling you about KaBoom because I hear rumblings from time to time such as “why are animals important” and “why do we make a fuss about animals in bushfires”. Well, I’m a veterinarian, so it’s a no-brainer for me that animals and their welfare are important – but there’s much more to it than that. There’s this concept called One Health. Look it up – there’s plenty of good information online, including on the Australian Government website. One Health states that the health and wellbeing of humans, animals and the environment are intricately and inseparably connected. Which brings me back to KaBoom. He is a registered Therapy dog who works in the Courts in Ottawa helping children testify against their abusers in court. He is amazing and helps so many children, and as his mum says, most jurisdictions in Canada recognise and encourage the Power of Paws. KaBoom needs to decompress too after a long session in court, and he gets to play with his K9 friends in the park afterwards. His mum has given me permission to share the photos below of KaBoom at work. There is plenty of good research about therapy animals and KaBoom is real-world evidence of the good animals do for people.
Thankyou, KaBoom!
