APPLICATION OF ANIMAL ASSISTANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN FACULTY OF EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AND SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Animal assistance used among university students is not unknown, numerous foreign examples prove its valid existence. The application aimed at university students appeared in the United States of America, but nowadays it is used in many countries around the world. The emergence of assistance dogs in higher education is related to the scientific interest aimed at discovering and measuring the causes of the positive effects experienced during the use of assistance animals. Simultaneously with the introduction of animal assistance training at the University of Debrecen Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs, the university student sensitization program began in 2021, within the framework of which students can meet the assistance dog serving on the university campus on a daily basis. The first university student sensitizer dog of the country has a multifaceted task, it not only performs tasks in the field of animal-assisted activity but also fulfills a socialization role with its presence, helping many to rethink their ideas about keeping animals. The study presents this socialization program.