“INNIKOS Kyiv Canister Therapy Center became the first center in Ukraine to provide free psycho-emotional support with the help of specially trained dogs. It opened at the end of 2023 with the support of the Royal Canin Foundation and became the first of four such establishments to open in different cities of Ukraine. The results of activity for the first year of work are impressive: in the period from October 2023 to”, — write on: ua.news
INNIKOS Kyiv Canister Therapy Center became the first center in Ukraine to provide free psycho-emotional support with the help of specially trained dogs. It opened at the end of 2023 with the support of the Royal Canin Foundation and became the first of four such institutions to open in different cities of Ukraine. The results of the first year of operation are impressive: in the period from October 2023 to September 2024, the center conducted 1,799 free canister therapy sessions – of these, 301 group and 1498 individual sessions were held.
In Ukraine, canister therapy is becoming an increasingly popular method of psycho-emotional care, because it combines the therapeutic effect of interaction with animals with the professional work of qualified specialists. In the conditions of a long war and constant stress, a large number of military personnel, veterans, internally displaced persons, including children affected by the war, turn to the center. Yes, for a year of operation of the center more than 1,660 people received help306 of them are children.
The INNIKOS center is located in Kyiv at the address of st. Prirychna, 27th, offers free canister therapy sessions for children and adults, conducted by experienced psychologists and a rehabilitation specialist. Sessions are held in both group and individual formats. Details and an appointment for a consultation on the official website of the canister therapy centers — https://canistertherapy.com.ua
“Research and world experience show that canister therapy has a positive effect on people’s psychological health and emotional state. This also applies to those who, like the Ukrainians, survived the trials of war. We are proud of the fact that thanks to the development of this direction, 1,799 free canisterotherapy sessions have already been conducted in Ukraine during such a short period of the center’s existence. – says Victoria Vozniukdirector of public relations of “Royal Canin Ukraine” LLC, — This result inspires us to take further steps. So, in June of this year, with the support of the foundation, the second DOCADOG canister therapy center opened in Rivne, and plans for the coming months — opening of two more centers in other cities of Ukraine”.
Stories of visitors to the INNIKOS canister therapy center
Mykhailo Gakk, 26 years old, veteran
I am a veteran. I have been undergoing rehabilitation since the fall of 2022. However, with the return to civilian life, I began to feel useless.
In the summer of 2024, my depression began to worsen, so I began to look for some solutions. I just googled and came across the INNIKOS Canister Therapy Center page. I signed up for individual classes with psychologist Anna, and from the first classes I felt that dogs are very kind animals and resonate with my condition. Therapy helped me deal with feeling lonely and useless to other people. During the classes, I began to pay attention to very basic and banal things, I began to learn to appreciate them. The simplest thing is that it is not necessary to say anything in canisterotherapy, it is enough to understand that someone does not care about you. I advise everyone who is lost and needs support.
Polina Kosheva, 43 years old, Sofia Kosheva, 7 years old, immigrants from Zaporizhzhia
The worst thing other people can say is to remind someone that someone has it worse. My family and I moved from our native Zaporizhzhia to Kyiv. But they could not take the cat with them. We left our lives in the city. Of course, many people are going through a greater tragedy, but those words are not really what you want to hear. That’s not what helps.
After moving, I found out about canisterotherapy from social networks and immediately signed up for classes with my daughter Sofia. Our psychologist Anna heals with the right words and inspires me a lot. And Chelsea’s favorite heals with her presence. This is an incredibly sensitive dog that just hugs when it’s hard to talk. And that’s what’s really needed—simple acceptance instead of devaluation. During canister therapy, we can always show emotions: cry, talk a lot. And we are not stopped or burdened with the grief of other people. Animals, dogs are just a miracle, my daughter will always remember these lessons.
Oksana Sundugey, 49 years old, wife of a veteran. Children of Olesya and Oleksii
My children sometimes scream in their sleep. What scares me the most in this is the impotence itself. My husband is a military man, a veteran. We have two children. And the war for our family has not been going on for the third year. In the eleventh year of the war, I began to acutely feel fear for my children and husband. I literally began to feel my loneliness and inability to stop this war, which turned into constant anxiety.
I heard about canister therapy from the “Base 4.5.0” workers, I didn’t quite understand how it could help, but I decided to try it. In November 2023, together with the children, we signed up for visiting classes. These are group classes together with dogs to stabilize the emotional state and reduce tension. After several classes, for the first time in a long time I saw joy in the eyes of the children and the desire to hurry somewhere and do something. Probably, because we feel sincere attention in classes. And dogs, you know, do not know how to deceive. As a result, the youngest daughter became more communicative, and the children no longer scream at night.
Vera Bobryk, 70 years old, a migrant from Kakhovka
I spent 5 months under occupation in Kakhovka. Every day, existence became more and more unbearable, but I continued to believe in the liberation of the city. And when the threat to my life became critical, I painfully decided to go. During the difficult evacuation, I experienced severe stress, and later I was diagnosed with a depressive disorder of organic origin.
Since September of this year, I started attending individual canister therapy classes with psychologist Svetlana. Communicating with dogs made me more calm and helped me react less to negativity. Perhaps this is because interaction with dogs occurs at the level of pure sensations, without words. It helps me to be more aware of myself and my emotions and needs, and I realized that I need some peace right now.
Dogs have a special sense of life – they rejoice and live here and now. Perhaps this is what taught me to imitate their behavior: to stop delving into the past and start truly experiencing life. It allows me to go on with my life.
I advise everyone to attend such classes. Communicating with dogs helps me forget all troubles, I receive a sea of love and affection.
Tatyana Kisil, 36 years old, mother of a child with disabilities
My son has autism. Previously, it was not easy to live with this, and with the beginning of the war, his anxiety worsened and began to develop into aggressive behavior. Unfortunately, autism cannot be cured or completely eliminated with therapy, both the child and us, close people who are close to him, have to learn to live with such a diagnosis. That’s why we decided to get a dog for their son, because it is known that communication with animals helps with similar disorders.
My son and I started attending individual classes with psychologist Anna, where we met Chelsea the dog. You could lie on her, you could feed her with treats, you could perform various commands with her, and I saw how these meetings began to really interest my son. At first, he approached the dog cautiously, but within a few sessions he opened up, petting Chelsea and looking forward to next Saturday.
The biggest achievement was that the son learned to depict his fears in pictures. In class, the girls and Chelsea drew with their son rockets, which he was most afraid of. Little by little, he calmed down, became more attentive and balanced. And even now, he hasn’t lost this skill: when he’s scared, he draws a “drone with a mustache” or a “rocket in a tie.”
I would recommend canister therapy to everyone, because only a professional approach and a trained animal can truly reveal emotions. The most valuable thing is that there is a relaxed atmosphere during the classes, with an ecological and friendly attitude towards us from the center’s specialists. We as a whole family are grateful for the classes and wish the center of canister therapy development and prosperity! You are doing a very necessary thing.