This spring, UCB engaged the Atlanta community at the 2018 Atlanta Science Festival with a booth called “How the Canine Mind Helps People with Severe Diseases.” The festival is a two-week celebration of science offering more than 100 events at locations throughout metro Atlanta. UCB participated at the expo event held in Piedmont Park on March 24. 

During the day-long event, 25,000 festival attendees interacted with service dogs trained at the Milton, Ga. non-profit, Canine Assistants, as well as learned more about the UCB-sponsored seizure response dog training program and our 15-year long commitment to supporting the organization’s mission.

As a leader in epilepsy care, UCB is committed to delivering value to people living with severe diseases and since 2003, we have been involved with Canine Assistants through partnership and volunteer opportunities. Over the years, UCB has supported nearly 400 service dogs with their seizure response training to ensure they can be great support to their patient partners.

At the event booth, festival goers learned how service dogs are uniquely equipped to be valuable partners and companions to children and adults with epilepsy, physical disabilities, and other special needs. More than just furry friends, Canine Assistants service dogs help their owners in everyday life, from retrieving a phone to providing help during a seizure, by summoning help and staying with their person during a seizure. 

“Canine Assistants provides service dogs who assist with physical disabilities or other special needs to children and adults. Seizure response dogs quickly change lives for their owners, but their extensive education can take up to 18 months. Thanks to our partnership with UCB, we are able to successfully teach hundreds of dogs and continue to expand our impact,” explains Jennifer Arnold, Founder of Canine Assistants.

Seizure response dogs are an important example of how keeping all of a patient’s needs in mind is critical to helping them live at their ideal. The ability to help patients through the science of the canine mind is an important example of UCB’s commitment to patients beyond the pill. 

To learn more about our engagement at the 2018 Atlanta Science Festival, check out the featured stories in Rolling Out and the Marietta Daily Journal.