The Barça Foundation continues to strengthen its commitment to the emotional well‑being and health of children and adolescents through its support for animal‑assisted intervention programs, an initiative that helps improve the quality of life of hospitalized pediatric patients.

This commitment became visible during a meeting held at the Joan Gamper Training Center, where FC Barcelona first‑team players Joan Garcia and Gerard Martín shared a special day with the dogs and the professionals who carry out this assisted therapy, in a space designed to highlight the positive impact of these interventions.

The participation of Joan Garcia and Gerard Martín in this event symbolizes the Club’s involvement in these causes, helping to raise awareness of the importance of animal‑assisted interventions and of the work carried out by all the organizations and professionals who make them possible.

You can watch the video through the FC Barcelona Foundation's YouTube channel.

The dog‑assisted interventions, promoted by the Barça Foundation since 2022, are part of the Hospital Amic program at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and are carried out in collaboration with specialized organizations. These activities aim primarily to reduce patient stress, improve their mood, and foster motivation during recovery processes, especially for children with serious illnesses such as cancer.

The dogs, properly trained and accompanied by professionals, actively participate in therapeutic sessions that help break the hospital routine and create positive experiences for hospitalized boys and girls. This type of intervention has proven to be an effective tool to help them overcome fears, encourage rehabilitation, and reinforce positive behaviors.

In addition, the Barça Foundation also supports the Deixant Petjada project at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Badalona, focused on child and adolescent mental health. In this case, the sessions with dogs help improve the emotional well‑being of patients aged 8 to 18, supporting their recovery through play and motivation.

These initiatives are part of the Barça Foundation’s Polseres Blaugranes program, whose main goal is to make long hospital stays more pleasant for children and adolescents with serious illnesses such as cancer or highly disabling rare diseases, by creating spaces and environments in hospitals that promote emotional support and help make the illness more bearable.

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