Every week for over two years, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming Katelyne, accompanied by Vincent, Jean-Christophe, Loïc, Estelle, Vito and Sixtine – her students, all future canine behaviourist educators in training, who take our dogs out and work with them with passion in the field at our Veeweyde shelter in Anderlecht. They offer the refuge the most precious thing they have: their time, their knowledge and their immense benevolence.
These passionate students train and accompany our residents under the supervision of Katelyne, trainer and manager of Espace Canin, a centre specialising in canine education and behaviour, located in Lobbes, in the Hainaut region.
Their philosophy is to restore harmony between dogs and their families. Espace Canin provides training services for dogs and their owners, offering education and re-education courses, obedience and socialisation sessions, as well as behaviour advice to help owners better understand and manage their four-legged companions.
Their voluntary commitment is a real gift for our dogs: it reinforces their socialisation, improves their behaviour and supports the daily work of our teams.
Our dogs gain in confidence and balance thanks to the joint efforts of our carers and Espace Canin students.
We’re thinking of Kapili, Lefi, Patton, Diane, Léo and Richie, who have been able to progress and find their forever families. But many others still have a long way to go.
Our shelter is home to a lot of dogs who, today, are not yet easily adoptable: they must first continue to progress, learn and rebuild their lives before they are ready to find a home. Although a shelter is not a rehabilitation centre, because of the animals it shelters, it has a role to play in rehabilitating them.
This strict monitoring, this behind-the-scenes work, is essential to give them a real second chance.
The Veeweyde team