Video by Cam and Kim Osbourne
Meet Benji Burn Fund Stress Intervention Dog
Introducing Benji! We are thrilled to introduce our most popular new team member. A yellow Labrador, Benji is an Operational Stress Intervention Dog who can sense when those around him are anxious or worried and intuitively helps them calm down.
Benji was born into the BC & Alberta Guide Dogs Program on November 15, 2018. He spent 20 months in the Puppy Training Program before heading into advanced training with VICD Service Dogs as part of a new program which trains Operational Stress Intervention (OSI) Dogs.
Meet Benji Burn Fund Stress Intervention Dog
Benji will be supporting burn survivors and their families by visiting guests at the Burn Fund Centre. He will also be attending all of our Burn Camp programs.
A special thank you to VICD Service Dogs for our new family member and to Cameron and Kimberley Osborne for this fantastic video!
Join us in giving Benji a warm welcome!
Dog trained in helping survivors reduce stress joins B.C. Burn Fund Centre
VANCOUVER - A new four-legged staff member is making a difference at B.C.'s Burn Fund Centre by helping survivors and their families with stress. Benji, a yellow lab, recently completed 20 months of training as an operational stress intervention dog. The three-year-old pup also helps survivors in their healing process with his calming presence. "They're under a great deal of stress," Burn Fund Centre's Peter Hansen told CTV News Vancouver. "They find great comfort in Benji, being able to just pet him, touch him, even take him for walks." Hansen said some guests stay for extended periods of time, with a year being the longest they've had. He's there almost every day with Benji. "He's trained to recognize people that are under stress," Hansen said. "He recognizes that and on my direction or on his own, will go up and put his chin on your leg." Hansen said Benji will also do what they call an "up," and put his paws onto a person's lap and will stay there until he's commanded to leave. If someone is particularly distressed or crying, Hansen said Benji will give them kisses "just to distract them away from what they're feeling." "While in training, it was clear that Benji was destined to become an operational stress intervention dog because of his friendly nature, intelligence and ability to pick up on how his human friends are feeling," said Mike Annan, executive director of VICD Service Dogs, in a news release. In the future, Benji will also attend camps put on by the Burn Fund for kids and teens. With files from CTV News Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim
Source: CTV Vancouver
PARTNERSHIP: We are very fortunate to have a strong partnership with BC & Alberta Guide Dogs and VICD Service Dogs who gifted two Stress Intervention Dogs. The first being “Ferus” (black lab) who lives with Steve Farina (BCPFFA Vice President & Coquitlam Fire Captain), who has been a strong advocate for mental health for fire fighters, and was also the conduit in bringing our second dog “Benji” (yellow lab) to the Burn Fund, who is handled by Peter Hansen (HomeAway Coordinator, Retired Captain from North Vancovuer District Fire Department).
