- Wu Chi left a gaming career to promote therapy dogs and study animal behaviour
- Wu founded Paw for Heal, training over 5,000 pets and 400 therapy dogs in Shanghai
- Therapy dogs assist children with autism, seniors with dementia, and others in need
Wu Qi, a former computer science graduate who once worked in China's gaming industry, has become one of the country's leading advocates for therapy dogs, according to a report in South China Morning Post (SCMP). Leaving behind a lucrative career, Wu dedicated himself to studying animal behaviour and promoting the social value of therapy animals.
His recent speech on the scientific training of pets and the growing role of therapy dogs in emotional well-being has gone viral on Chinese social media, sparking renewed public interest in animal-assisted therapy.
Wu first started a pet park for two years, then opened a pet shop in a residential complex. His father disagreed with this decision.
Wu said he had mild autism as a child, and that his first dog, which he found in the trash at the age of nine, taught him how to communicate with people.
Later he adopted a husky, but one day he returned home to find that the sofa was torn. They sent the dog to a training center, but upon returning found that its nature had become timid and sensitive. Inspired by this incident, Wu began to learn pet training scientifically.
When he started sharing his experiences and knowledge online, his popularity increased. In the year 2012, he was invited to a television program with his Husky. A mother met him after the program with her child suffering from autism. The child did not speak to Wu directly, but imitated Wu's actions as he interacted with the dog. The mother said it was the first time her child imitated a stranger. This experience inspired Wu and she started scientific therapy dog volunteer and training programs in China.
Wu's Shanghai-based organization Paw for Heal has trained more than 5,000 pets, 400 of which have passed the professional therapy dog exam, the SCMP report said.
In this test various aspects of their behaviour are examined. Wu encouraged owners and their dogs who passed the test to join them as service dogs.
His organization helps children suffering from autism and depression, juvenile delinquents, seniors with dementia, patients suffering from serious illnesses and people suffering from work stress.
Wu also said that he was amazed when an elderly man suffering from Alzheimer's was able to remember the names of dogs he had met long ago, while he could not remember the names of his own children.
Till now his organization has served more than 1,50,000 people. According to Wu, the concept of therapy dogs was new in society, and some people were even afraid of them. But today, as the idea is becoming more widely accepted, a new challenge arises, the number of therapy dogs in China is still very low, compared to about 300,000 in the United States.
Wu's organization also runs paid therapy dog and human volunteer training programs. Wu aims to sustain the free services through income from these programs, reported South China Morning Post.
