Pembrokeshire-based Cariad Pet Therapy is proud to promote their Crisis Response Dogs project - a volunteer-led initiative designed to provide comfort, emotional support, and compassionate human connection during times of loss, distress, trauma, and crisis.

Volunteers involved in the project have undertaken a bespoke training programme which includes accredited Mental Health First Aid, Emotional First Aid, Trauma-Informed Practice, Safeguarding, Professional Boundaries, Dynamic Risk Assessment, Dog Welfare, Crisis Awareness, and Understanding Psychological Responses to Trauma and Distress.

The project aims to support individuals within hospitals, schools, emergency response settings, wellbeing events, relief centres, and community support environments where people may be experiencing emotional difficulty, trauma, grief, or heightened stress.

Working alongside trained handlers, the Crisis Response Dogs offer calm, non-judgmental companionship that can help reduce anxiety, encourage communication, and provide reassurance during challenging moments.

The project collaborates with emergency management and resilience partners, including partnership with the South Wales Local Resilience Forum (SWLRF), by supporting communities during emergencies, major incidents, and recovery settings.

As part of their ongoing development, volunteers have attended specialist seminars focusing on suicide prevention and human-animal relationship, alongside emergency planning and resilience conferences to further strengthen knowledge and collaborative work.

Cariad Pet Therapy located in Haverfordwest believes in the powerful human-animal bond and the positive difference dogs can make within communities across Wales.

Robert Thomas, Crisis Response Dogs lead for the project said: “We have already witnessed the incredible impact these dogs can have on people facing difficult moments. Sometimes a calm presence, a conversation, or simply the comfort of a dog can make someone feel seen, supported, and less alone.”

The project has funding from The National Lottery.

For more information about Crisis Response Dogs or to request a deployment, please contact Robert Thomas on 01437 609985 or visit: www.crisisresponsedogs.co.uk