On the occasion of the tenth edition of European Pet Night at Musée Belvue in Brussels, IFAH-Europe (International Federation for Animal Health Europe) and partners showcased the preliminary findings of research conducted by PAWS (Parents Autism Workshops and Support) in association with Dogs for the Disabled, the University of Lincoln and the National Autistic Society on the impact of a pet dog on the life of a child with autism.

Guest speaker at the event was Helen McCain from the PAWS UK programme. Running in both the UK and the Netherlands (under KNGF Geleidehonden), the Director of Operations at Dogs for the Disabled UK explained how the introduction of a pet dog into the family can improve the lives of families living with autism.

The special chemistry between the dog and the child can help when the child is angry, anxious or distressed, having a very beneficial impact on the family. Team Leader, Katie Bristow-Wade said that, “85% of families in our research programme believe their child was happier after the family adopted a dog. 62% added that their child was less likely to have a meltdown due to the presence of the dog. Now we are looking into what the specific benefits may be, and whether certain traits (such as breed or age) may make particular pet dogs more effective.”

This year’s event was held under the patronage of Member of the European Parliament Julie Girling and brought together key policy makers, NGOs and parties with an interest in pets. MEP Girling, who is a long term supporter of the World Horse Welfare initiative said, “Ensuring the health and welfare of companion animals across Europe is an essential part of responsible pet ownership and in this regard the ready availability to all relevant medicines is key. The revised veterinary Directive due to come before the European Parliament this year should aim to streamline processes to a single EU-wide licensing system which would greatly improve the availability of medicines for all animals across Europe.”

Back by popular demand, this is the tenth European Pet Night that IFAH-Europe has organised in collaboration with an ever-increasing range of partners and to celebrate this milestone the association launched a drawing competition involving more than 150 pupils aged 5-9 from the European school in Laeken (Brussels) with an aim to educate the younger generation on the importance of taking care of their pets. Declan O’Brien, Managing Director of IFAH-Europe said, “I am thrilled to see the interest in responsible pet care demonstrated by the children we spoke to. Awareness and education is a cornerstone to further improving animal health and welfare in Europe. Since the first ever edition of European Pet Night I have not ceased to be amazed by the wonderful things that all kinds of companion animals do to help us. Our slogan resonates this feeling exactly: Animals are good for us, be good to them.”