Four legged doctors build happy stories with your help!
PPL Causas

Four legged doctors build happy stories with your help!

APCA it’s a non profit association that trains Assistance Dogs for people with reduced mobility, diabetes, autism and epilepsy. To cure, there is a dog!

  • 2650

    raised

    106% of 2 500€

    65 backers

  • 21/10/2016

    Expired on

  • Completed

    This project has been successfully funded

APCA it’s a non profit association that trains Assistance Dogs for people with reduced mobility, diabetes, autism and epilepsy. To cure, there is a dog!

Once upon a time…

The story of Diana Niepce (30 years)

Professional dancer, Diana worked with companies in Finland, Netherlands and New York. A success story that was interrupted by a tragic episode. Eighteen months ago, during an aerobatic training, Diana fell from a trapeze. With zero probability of recovery, Diana reversed the outcome. Today moves in a wheelchair and has a very special help, Nina, the dog. Diana ensures that is your best friend and says "this fight gets to be quite lonely and people follow their lives, do not live for me. But she lives for me. And I live for her. She can save my life." Nina gives happiness that Diana thought he had lost. "Since the accident I did not remember being happy and it has been fantastic."

The story of Miguel (4 years)

"They are best friends. The purest friendship that can exist "says Miguel mother, a boy with autism from 18 months did not want to be touched, did not want to look in the eyes. Sinatra, the dog of Miguel, came to break down these barriers. It was hard to go to the hospital because Miguel did not allow anyone to touch/look him. The Sinatra changed this reality. Miguel is the only boy with autism in Portugal guided by an assistance dog. The Sinatra guides Miguel everywhere, without exception, even the hospital.

To cure, there is a dog!

This is the claim of the Portuguese Association of Assistance Dogs (APCA), founded in 2014 and only certifier association of assistance dogs in the area of Medical Dogs. We have a team of eight trainers, two veterinarians, two therapists and a psychologist.

We believe we can make a difference in people's lives by allowing rewriting stories, happy and hope, with the help of our best friends, dogs. And because the ambition and dreams command life, we believe that everyone, in so far as possible, will help make possible the dreams and needs of many. The happy endings make up the effort and dedication of our coaches and our friends of four feet. Please help us to build new stories.

In return for your help we offer what we do best: train and certify dogs to make a difference in the lives of people and dogs. A job that fills us with pride and will twinkle the eyes of those who need it most. This, with your help!

But what are assistance dogs and what they can do? A service dog is a dog that has been or is being trained as a guide dog (to help a blind person), dog for disabled person (to help mentally disabled person or persons with hearing difficulties) or service dog (dog who has been or is being trained to help people with physical or hormonal disabled).

About the author

We are a non-profit association, founded in October 2014, which aims to promote and disseminate the Assistance Dogs, as well as raise awareness of the need for free access on public and private establishments, according to the Dec. (74/2007). APCA trains specifically assistance dogs for disabled people, diabetes, autism and epilepsy and is the only certifier of assistance dogs in the area of Medical Dogs. The team has eight coaches, two veterinarians, two therapists and a psychologist. All training of trainers is held abroad, mainly in the US, Spain, Germany and Denmark.

The President, Rui Elvas, and the Vice-President, Isa Elvas, has developed a long training work abroad that has generated bases to develop its own methodology, innovative and unique.

Our goals are:

- Dedicate to the provision of services, dissemination and integration of assistance dogs in portuguese society;

- To defend the interests and rights of Associates;

- Train Service Dogs;

- Ensure Assisted Therapy Animal;

- Certify Service Dogs;

- Put Assistance Dogs with families / individuals;

- Defend the right to difference people who are accompanied by assistance dogs;

- Provide information and knowledge of guidance at different levels of support (social, emotional, etc.);

- Disseminate and inform among the Associates;

- Promote the exchange of information and sponsorship programs with other organizations;

- Create links with international organizations and exchange of experiences.

Budget and due dates

APCA, with an year and a half of existence, trained 6 dogs, has 8 in the training process and 350 requests, many of which with no financial availability.

Our appeal is for the contribution of 12€. This value is the help that APCA need to be able to train and certify more dogs. It is the beginning of a new phase and, if exceeded, is proof that all we care about helping others.

The value also adds up to 5% commission of the PPL + Vat, ie 153,75€.

We are realistic. We know that to help all people (all requests) we would need much more but we must go one step at a time with the certainty that the help of tomorrow will be higher than today.

By helping have rewards that are described in the table on the right.

In october we celebrate two years, the same month that we celebrate the world animal day (day 4) and also this month, precisely on october 21, the closing date of initiative. We want to give good news for those who ask us for help and celebrate our existence.

Help us and be part of happy stories!

  • Invest with
    5€ or more

    Get acknowledgment on our facebook page

    28 backers

  • Invest with
    12€ or more

    Will have discounts (10%) with our partners for your friends. To find out visit our website. Thinking of you and our friends.

    21 backers

  • Invest with
    35€ or more

    Get discounts (10%) with our partners and also the opportunity to meet and see a training of mascots APCA (Duke, a German shepherd and Grace, weimaraner). You will love them, believe!

    15 backers

Fri, 29/03/2024 - 04:49

Mon, 24/10/2016 - 11:30

Payout completed

The raised funds have been transferred to the campaign owner

21/10/2016

Campaign ended

The campaign successfully raised the initial target

Thu, 06/10/2016 - 11:25

Obrigado!

Estamos cada vez mais perto do nosso objetivo. Faltam-nos 33% do valor para, no dia 21 de outubro, a PPL entregar o valor na sua totalidade. Ajude-nos como puder porque toda a a...

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Mon, 12/09/2016 - 10:52

18 dias de Campanha!

Faz hoje 18 dias que a nossa campanha está ativa! Todos os dias conseguimos ficar um pouco mais perto do nosso objetivo, mas precisamos chegar aos 100% para conseguirmos obter ...

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Wed, 31/08/2016 - 12:02

A campanha da APCA na comunicação social

A nossa campanha tem sido mencionada nos meios de comunicação social. Veja aqui: - http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/sociedade/cao-guia/lancada-campanha-para-ajudar-a-formar-mais-caes-de...

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Mon, 29/08/2016 - 11:00

Obrigada!

A APCA quer agradecer a todos os apoiantes. Queremos agradecer sobretudo por acreditarem neste projeto. "Até à cura, existe um cão!"

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Campaign launched

25/08/2016

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65 members of the PPL community
support this campaign

  • 31
    new backers

  • 34
    recurrent backers

  • 37
    anonymous backers

Meet the people helping this dream come true