Oknooshoon Project Phase 2

Nairi Krafian, a young Armenian-American volunteer has established a project called Oknooshoon in Armenia, which is literally a hybrid of the words help (oknoutyoun) and dog (shoun) in Armenian. As a pre-veterinary student who is passionate about both her homeland and animals, her goal is to improve the public perception, and in turn the quality of life, for rescued dogs in Armenia. Nairi has partnered with The Paros Foundation in order to introduce dog therapy in Yerevan, help provide education to improve the public perception of stray and rescued dogs and minimize their poor treatment.

Oknooshoon aims to improve the human-canine bond in Armenia, to benefit both populations simultaneously. This project will implement animal therapy for children in need with rescue dogs trained as therapy animals. Phase one of Oknooshoon’s Animal Therapy Program was a pilot in which the therapy dogs were trained as adults, lived at the shelter, and were handled by shelter personnel. Phase two is a second pilot in which rescue dogs will be trained as puppies, raised and handled by Oknooshoon employees in a home. This change will create a more sustainable and effective program, with the dogs being trained at a young age, living in clean homes, and receiving individualized attention. Phase two will also include research to determine the effectiveness of this therapy method for children, education to improve animal welfare, and efforts to strengthen Oknooshoon’s team and business model.

$24,000 is needed in order to fund this project. The costs include handler training education, dog training supplies, transportation, veterinary care, administrative supplies, employee compensation, and organizational development expenses. In addition, Nairi will be attending the Watson Institute Program in Colorado in order to improve and expand Oknooshoon’s capacity.