United Hatzalah held a ceremony on March 11 at its national headquarters in Jerusalem marking the completion of the training course and launch of the organization’s Psychotrauma Canine Unit.
The specialized unit operates on a fully voluntary basis 24/7, providing initial psychotrauma support at disaster scenes and emergencies through emotional support dogs.
“We are proud to be pioneers in deploying psychotrauma dogs at disaster scenes and emergency situations, and we are confident that this model will be replicated and studied worldwide,” said professor Ehud Davidson, CEO of United Hatzalah.
“Psychotrauma dogs are an integral part of our aid system at disaster scenes,” he continued. “Their ability to provide immediate psychological support to the injured and to reduce anxiety in critical situations is an important component in our success in alleviating suffering and facilitating more professional and rapid recovery.”
The psychotrauma dogs play a significant role in reducing anxiety and stress among victims; they provide a sense of calm and tranquility to patients, thereby contributing to accelerated recovery.
As part of the year-long program—the first of its kind in Israel—10 dogs participated alongside their owners, practicing emergency scenarios such as exposure to crowded places, professional functioning at mass-casualty incidents and assisting wounded people inside ambulances.
Eli Pollak, deputy CEO of United Hatzalah, said the launch of the unit represents “another step in enhancing our ability to offer customized and immediate psychological assistance at disaster scenes. These dogs, together with their skilled handlers—who are both trauma social-work experts and psychotrauma dog handlers in disaster zones—bring exceptional sensitivity and provide emotional support, a sense of security and hope for victims in the most difficult situations.
“We are proud,” he said, “to be the first in this field in Israel and will do everything to professionalize, develop and expand this important unit.”