Meet Vanessa Carral

She says she has always had contact with animals, and that growing up by the sea surrounded by nature has had a great impact on her personality and shaped her professional development. 

It was while studying psychology that she discovered how animals can play a crucial role in people’s rehabilitation. For this reason, to further build on her training, she travelled to Australia and the United States where she was able to work with various animals including dolphins and sea lions, and to see first-hand the positive effect of animal-assisted interventions on therapy. 

This was where her project Dogtor Animal came about 7 years ago, which won her one of two second prizes of the Second Call for Unique Alumni Grants. At Dogtor, Vanessa has worked for years with her partner and friend Iciar to carry out animal-assisted interventions, but now they are embarking on a new venture: supporting young people who must go to court.