Last Tuesday evening, an emotional ceremony was held at United Hatzalah’s national headquarters in Jerusalem, marking the completion of the training course and launch of the organization’s Psychotrauma Canine Unit.

This specialized unit operates on a fully voluntary basis 24/7, providing initial psychotrauma support at disaster scenes and emergency situations through emotional support dogs. This service delivers essential support to people who need it during their most difficult moments.

United Hatzalah’s psychotrauma dogs play a significant role in reducing anxiety and stress among victims, as they provide a sense of calm and tranquility to patients, thereby contributing to accelerated recovery.

In this prestigious year-long program—the first of its kind in Israel—ten special dogs participated alongside their owners, practicing various emergency scenarios such as exposure to crowded places, professional functioning at mass casualty incidents, assisting wounded individuals inside ambulances, and more.

Professor Ehud Davidson, CEO of United Hatzalah: “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. United Hatzalah’s psychotrauma dogs are an integral part of our aid system at disaster scenes. Their ability to provide immediate psychological support to the injured and affected, and to reduce anxiety in critical situations, is an important component in our success in alleviating suffering and facilitating more professional and rapid recovery.”

Eli Pollak, Deputy CEO of United Hatzalah: “The moving launch of the Psychotrauma Canine 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 to be the first in this field in Israel and will do everything to professionalize, develop, and expand this important unit.”