Calling assistance dog partners!
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| IAADP European vice-president Wendy Morrell in London with her assistance dog, Caesar. |
JUNE 25, 2008, will be a momentous day for the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP). For the first time in its 15-year history, the annual conference is to be held outside North America. It will be held in England! The conference will be held at The Renaissance Hotel, Bath Road, Hounslow, London just beside Heathrow Airport - a location chosen not only for ease of access to those coming from overseas but also because of the facilities for people with disabilities available there.IAADP is an international, pan-disability charitable organisation for people partnered with assistance dogs. Its aims include providing support, information and advocacy on behalf of all partnerships. Wendy Morrell, European vice-president of the organisation, said "It's really exciting to be hosting the conference here in the United Kingdom, something I have been aiming for since I joined the organisation a number of years ago. It will give the opportunity for British partnerships to meet and mix with their peers from home and abroad. We have a really exciting line-up of speakers and presenters, many of the partnerships I have met while travelling in Europe and from across the United States and Canada are hoping to come, and hopefully many British partnerships too."
Rosemary Smart, chief executive of The Kennel Club, has agreed to open the conference and attend the rest of the day. Here in the UK The Kennel Club supports assistance dog organisations in a very tangible way via its Charitable Trust, and has shown real commitment to the assistance dog movement over a number of years.
The keynote speaker is Dr Roger Mugford, a psychologist and farmer who introduced the concept of behavioural therapy to the veterinary profession by founding The Animal Behaviour Centre in 1979. He invented the halti headcollar plus other training and reward-based behaviour aids distributed by The Company of Animals, of which he is managing director.
Other presentations include varied topics such as Successor Dogs, Oral Health, an international air travel panel discussion, an international access panel discussion, a presentation on assistance dogs in Norway, a session on new equipment and a presentation on ParAgility.
Wendy added, "In the Year of the Assistance Dog, I am delighted that so many partnerships will have the opportunity to gather together. The conference is also attended by trainers, programme directors, puppy socilaisers and all interested in the assistance dog industry."
If you would like to attend, further details can be found at www.iaadp.org/conference.html or Wendy Morrell can be contacted directly by email at wendy@iaadp.org
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